Two tankers struck off Iraq, fire reported

Two tankers were struck in Iraqi waters south of Basra on Wednesday, with a fire confirmed on board one of the vessels, while a separate cargo ship was hit hours later off the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in the latest escalation of security risks in the Gulf.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the first incident took place about five nautical miles south of Al Basrah, after the chief security officer of one of the vessels reported that a fire had broken out following an attack.