A salvage tug dispatched to assist a damaged containership near the Strait of Hormuz was reportedly struck by missiles, leaving several crew members feared dead.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a third-party report indicated that a tug operating about six nautical miles north of Oman was attacked on March 6. Authorities said the incident remains under investigation.
The vessel involved has been identified by maritime security consultants as the UAE-flagged tug MV Mussafah 2, a 26-meter vessel built in 2012 with a gross tonnage of approximately 134. AIS data indicated the tug departed Mina Zayed port in the United Arab Emirates before its signal went offline while en route toward the scene of an earlier maritime incident.
The tug was believed to be heading to assist the damaged containership MV Safeen Prestige, which had reported an engine room fire after being struck by a projectile while transiting waters off Oman earlier in the week. The crew of the containership had already been evacuated by the Omani Navy.
Security consultancy reports indicate that two missiles struck the tug while it was operating about 18 nautical miles from Khasab, Oman. The vessel reportedly carried eight crew members.
In a later statement, International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said that at least four seafarers were believed to have been killed and three others seriously injured in the attack, though details remain limited.
No official confirmation of the strike has been issued by Omani authorities.
The tug is reportedly linked to AD Ports Group, which also operates the containership it was attempting to assist. The incident occurred amid a series of attacks targeting commercial shipping across the Gulf region. Salvage operations for several damaged vessels in the region are ongoing.
According to the IMO, around 20,000 seafarers remain aboard vessels in the Persian Gulf under heightened security risks as regional tensions continue to impact maritime operations.
