A Cosco Shipping Lines-operated containership was struck by an unknown projectile around 35 miles north of Jebel Ali, in the latest sign of rapidly worsening maritime insecurity in the Gulf.
The vessel, identified as the 3,240 teu Source Blessing, was reportedly hit at around 2:20am local time, according to maritime security reporting. UKMTO said all crew were safe, while the master confirmed that the ship had suffered an onboard incident. A small fire was later reported.
The extent of the damage could not immediately be assessed because of darkness at the time of the attack. The vessel is currently anchored in the northwestern Gulf. Before the outbreak of the current conflict, it had been bound for Sohar in Oman.
The Liberian-flagged ship was built in 2003 in Taiwan and has had several previous identities, including Lykes Flyer and later Washington Express. Beneficial ownership is listed as HK Quanfu.
The incident was the sixth reported strike on a vessel within 24 hours, underscoring the intensity of the risk environment for merchant shipping in the region.
