The Aqua 1 tanker, located 15 nautical miles northwest of the Qatari port of Ras Laffan, received a hole in the left stern of the vessel as a result of two hits (at least one of them by a rocket), after which water began to flow into the engine room, and a fire broke out on the vessel, which was extinguished. An ASTRA source reported with reference to the radio exchange of ships with rescue services.

There were 21 people on board — they were being prepared for evacuation. The ASTRA interlocutor clarified that the team had dealt with the fire by itself, then the coast guard and a group of explosives experts were called. The crew radioed that after the first explosion, they were allegedly hit by a rocket, the source added.

Later, the UK Office of Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors the safety of navigation, reported an incident “17 nautical miles north of Ras Laffan.”

The Qatari Defense Ministry then reported that the country had been attacked by three cruise missiles from Iran, one of which “hit an oil tanker leased by Qatar Energy in the territorial waters of Qatar.”

“Necessary measures were taken and coordination with the relevant authorities was established to evacuate the tanker, which had 21 crew members on board, without any human casualties,” says the message.

At the same time, neither the UKMTO nor the Ministry of Defense of Qatar mention the name of the vessel. As confirmed by ASTRA, according to the ship tracking service, the Aqua 1 tanker is indeed located in the specified area. The ship flies the flag of Panama. According to the ASTRA source, the tanker was empty at the time of the attack, “in ballast.”