Unconfirmed reports indicate that a vessel has been attacked off the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu, on April 26.
As Reuters reports, citing information from Dryad Global, the vessel, which possibly is the oil tanker “NCC Dammam”, was attacked off the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu.
While, the Saudi authorities have not confirmed the incident, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) notes reports of an incident on April 26, around 2 nautical miles from Yanbu, and that investigations were ongoing.
This is not the first vessel that has come under attack in Red Sea waters. In fact, during December, Saudi Arabia said that a tanker anchored at Jeddah port was hit by an explosive-laden boat.
This came after another incident at a Saudi terminal on the Red Sea, where a tanker was damaged by an explosion.
In addition, recently the Joint War Committee reviewed the Indian Ocean Risk Areas, amending the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden and Southern Red Sea as follows:
The waters enclosed by the following boundaries:
- On the north-west, by the Red Sea, south of Latitude 15° N.
- On the northeast, from the Yemen border at16°38.5’N, 53°6.5’E to high seas point 14°55’N, 53°50’E.
- On the east, by a line from high seas point 14°55’N, 53°50’E to high seas point 10°48’N, 60°15’E, thence to high seas point 6°45’S, 48°45’E.
- On the southwest, by the Somalia border at 1°40’S, 41°34’E, to high seas point 6°45’S, 48°45’E excepting coastal waters of adjoining territories up to 12 nautical miles offshore unless otherwise provided.
