Crew member killed, 27 evacuated after ship targeted near Strait of Hormuz

ISTANBUL: One crew member was killed and 27 others were evacuated after a commercial vessel was targeted near Oman's Musandam Governorate overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, Omani authorities said Wednesday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

The Omani Maritime Security Centre said in a statement on the US social media platform X that a Royal Navy of Oman vessel, in coordination with relevant authorities, evacuated the crew of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged commercial ship Cape Dao.

"Twenty-seven crew members were evacuated and provided with the necessary medical care after the vessel was targeted 2.5 nautical miles off Musandam Governorate," the centre said.

The attack caused a fire in the engine room and killed one crew member, it added.

Hours before the Omani announcement, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said a cargo vessel had been struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire on board and leaving the ship adrift.

UKMTO did not identify the party responsible for the attack.

Oman's Musandam Governorate lies along the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important waterways for energy shipments and global trade.

Shipping through the waterway has faced disruptions since war broke out in late February between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the other, amid attacks on commercial vessels and mutual threats over the security of the waterway.