Image for representation purposes only An oil tanker sailing off the north coast of Qatar was struck by multiple projectiles on Wednesday, October 7, with casualties reported among those on board, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. The tanker was hit about 51 nautical miles (94 km) north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar. UKMTO did not say how many people were killed or injured. It also did not identify the tanker or give details about its origin. The attack took place in Qatar’s exclusive economic zone. Security risks for commercial vessels in the Gulf and the nearby Strait of Hormuz have increased. UKMTO said on Tuesday that nine tanker attacks had been reported in the Strait of Hormuz during October. That is half the number of attacks reported across the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf in September. The latest attack took place in the western part of the Gulf. Ships have more often been targeted in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks. Qatar had not commented on the incident in the information available. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. It is a major route for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Before the conflict began, about 125 large commercial vessels passed through the strait each day. Around 20% of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies moved through the waterway. Oil exports from the Middle East have remained strong despite the attacks. Kpler data showed that the region exported an average of 18.3 million barrels of crude oil per day over the seven days to September 30. The average for the previous 12 months before the war was about 18 million barrels per day. It was not clear whether the attack had affected other tanker movements or oil exports. UKMTO had not provided the tanker’s name, the source of the projectiles or the exact number of casualties. The investigation was continuing. References: aljazeera, thehindu