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Shafaq News- Basra<\/p>\n
A Bahamas-flagged crude oil
\ntanker anchored near Iraq\u2019s Khor al-Zubair port likely sustained a hull
\nbreach after a blast early Thursday, its operating company reported.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Sonangol Marine
\nServices, the US representative of the tanker Sonangol Namibe, explained that
\nthe vessel was approached by an unidentified small boat at about 1:20 a.m.
\nlocal time while at anchor, before a loud bang was heard.<\/p>\n
“The
\ncrew reports that a port \u200bballast tank is losing water which suggests \u200bsome
\nform of hull breach but the ship remains \u200cstable \u2060and safely afloat,\u201d it added.\n<\/p>\n
According to an Iraqi energy source
\nand a shipping agent cited by Reuters, the tanker had been contracted by the State
\nOrganization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) and was heading to an Iraqi
\nterminal to load about 80,000 metric tons of Iraqi fuel.<\/p>\n
The incident comes as regional
\ntensions remain elevated following joint US\u2013Israeli strikes on targets inside
\nIran on Feb. 28, which prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran
\nagainst Israel and US military bases across the region.<\/p>\n