UKMTO reports tanker struck by unknown projectile northeast of Jubail, Saudi Arabia

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Friday that it had received a time-late report of an incident involving a tanker 68 nautical miles northeast of Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. According to the agency, the vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile.

UKMTO stated that all crew members on board the tanker are safe. The agency did not identify the vessel, the flag it carries, or the nature of the projectile in its initial report.

In its advisory, UKMTO said vessels transiting the area are advised to proceed with caution and to report any suspicious activity to the agency. It added that authorities are investigating the incident.

The report did not specify when exactly the strike occurred, beyond the time-late nature of the notification, nor did it attribute responsibility to any party. The location given, northeast of Al Jubail on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, lies along a route used by commercial shipping in the region.

UKMTO routinely issues advisories on maritime incidents in regional waters and asks mariners to report unusual activity. Further details were not immediately available.

According to Mehr News, the report by UKMTO described the tanker as having been struck by an unknown projectile, with all crew reported safe and an investigation under way.