Marine tug struck by projectiles off UAE's Khor Fakkan

KHOR FAKKAN — A marine tug sailing south was struck by two projectiles of unknown origin northeast of Khor Fakkan, off the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.

The tug was damaged and one person suffered a minor injury, according to the authority. It said the vessel is continuing on its route.

"The tug has sustained damage but is continuing on its route. One minor casualty has been reported," UKMTO said in a post on X.

Advice to vessels

UKMTO advised ships in the area to transit with caution. It also asked vessels to report any suspicious activity to it. The authority issued the incident under the reference UKMTO Warning 177-26 and pointed readers to a full product through a link in its post.

Arab News, which also reported the incident, said UKMTO had received a report of an incident northeast of Khor Fakkan. Both outlets described the projectiles as unidentified. Middle East Eye described the vessel as a southbound tugboat. Arab News called it a marine tug.

What is not known

The sources do not say who fired the projectiles or what type they were. They do not identify the tug, its owner, its flag or its cargo, if any. They do not say how far from the coast the vessel was when it was hit, or where it was heading.

The nature of the injury has not been described beyond the word "minor". The sources do not say whether the injured person was a crew member. They also do not give the extent of the damage to the tug.

No claim of responsibility has been reported in the material available. Neither the UAE authorities nor any other government had commented in the reports reviewed by Zenga News. The reports do not say whether any investigation has begun.

Background

UKMTO is a maritime authority that receives reports of incidents involving commercial shipping and issues warnings to vessels. In this case it used its account on X to circulate the alert, with the hashtags #MaritimeSecurity and #MarSec.

Khor Fakkan is on the coast of the UAE. The incident was reported to have taken place northeast of the location, and the tug was travelling south at the time, according to UKMTO as relayed by both outlets.

The two reports were published within about half an hour of each other on Sunday and relied on the same UKMTO notice. They contain no independent accounts from the crew, the vessel's operator or regional officials.

Zenga News has not independently verified the details of the incident. The account above reflects what UKMTO has said publicly. Further information may follow if UKMTO updates its warning or if the vessel's operator or a government issues a statement.