Suspected drone strike triggers second explosion on ship near Iraq

Dubai: A cargo vessel sailing in the Gulf was struck by what Iraqi security officials believe was a drone attack on Monday, sparking a fire aboard the ship.

The officials told Reuters that preliminary assessments indicated a second explosion aboard the vessel, located about 40 nautical miles southeast of Iraq's Umm Qasr port, was caused by an unmanned aerial vehicle. No casualties were reported, but the blast triggered a fire on board and prompted an investigation by Iraqi authorities.

The incident followed an earlier report by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which said a cargo ship transiting Gulf waters had been hit by an unidentified projectile on its starboard side. 

According to the British maritime security agency, the impact caused a large explosion, although no environmental damage was immediately detected.

The vessel was later identified by Iraqi media as the Panama-flagged MSC SARISKA V, which had reportedly completed unloading operations at Umm Qasr before the incident occurred. Initial local reports suggested the explosion may have been linked to a mechanical malfunction. However, Iraqi security officials later said evidence gathered during the preliminary investigation pointed to a drone attack as the likely cause.