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The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a tanker came under attack from multiple projectiles about 51 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal in Qatar around 1900 UTC on Wednesday, with casualties confirmed among those on board and local authorities now investigating. Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged oil and chemical tanker Acers, which was laden with cargo and heading toward the Strait of Hormuz at the time. The UKMTO said the report had been verified though it released no immediate details on the number of injured or the extent of damage sustained.
This marks the first reported attack on a ship so far west of the Strait of Hormuz since Sept. 9, according to Martin Kelly, head of advisory at EOS Risk Group. Kelly stated that Iran has increased the tempo of attacks against shipping since the end of September. The incident unfolds against the backdrop of repeated assaults on merchant vessels in the region since the war between the United States, Israel and Iran began in February.
International Maritime Organization figures show at least 24 seafarers have been killed in 93 confirmed incidents tied to the conflict. The UN body noted that the previous attack to cause casualties occurred on Sept. 9 aboard the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia north of Oman’s Musandam peninsula, where two sailors died. UKMTO data places the number of strikes in and around the Strait of Hormuz at nine during just the first seven days of October, half the combined total for the entire previous month across the waterway and Gulf.
Oil flows through the Persian Gulf have climbed back toward pre-war levels in recent weeks even as security incidents mount, according to maritime security sources cited in a Reuters compilation. The latest strike fell inside Qatar’s exclusive economic zone though Qatari officials had issued no immediate comment by early Thursday, Al Jazeera reported. The Maritime Executive described the event as unusual given that most recent attacks have clustered near the Strait of Hormuz rather than deeper in the Gulf.
The 50,000-deadweight-ton Acers is managed by a Greek company and was operating under normal commercial transit when struck, Vanguard tracking showed. No further specifics on the origin of the projectiles or the precise casualty count had been made public as investigations continued late Wednesday. Vessels operating in the area have been urged to maintain strict watch and report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO.
Broader tracking by EOS Risk Group and similar consultancies indicates a concentration of attacks on oil, LNG and LPG tankers in the week to Oct. 5, with at least 12 such incidents recorded around the strategic chokepoint. The pattern has prompted shipping operators to reassess insurance premiums and routing decisions for Gulf transits. UKMTO continues to monitor the situation while issuing regular alerts on the evolving maritime security environment.
