Mine blast damages hull of oil tanker near Saudi Arabian port

A Greek-operated oil tanker has been damaged by a mine explosion near a Saudi port in the Red Sea, local authorities have confirmed. The incident is suspected to stem from Riyadh’s protracted war with Yemen rebels.

Saudi authorities confirmed on Wednesday that a Maltese-flagged oil tanker sustained minor damage following an "attack" at a Red Sea port.

The vessel's operator, Athens-based shipping company TMS Tankers, said in a statement that the 'Agrari' suffered a breach after it was struck one meter above the waterline while in berth at al-Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia.

TMS Tankers said the attack occurred at midnight GMT, after the vessel's cargo was discharged and it was preparing to depart.

The company added that the source of the attack was unknown to them.The operator said that no pollution had been reported from the incident.

A report by the maritime security firm Ambrey said a magnetic mine was likely used to cause the damage. No injuries were reported from the blast.

The explosion took place within the limits of the port in Saudi Arabia's Jazan province, which borders war-torn Yemen to the south, and the tanker remains floating off the coast. According to Ambrey, before the incident it had unloaded its cargo at the Shuqaiq Steam Power Plant.

The Saudi-led coalition says the attack was an act of terrorism perpetrated by the Houthi militias, with the support of Iran, which was designed to threaten international shipping and trade.

According to the coalition statement, the terrorist act was thwarted and the commercial vessel only suffered minor damage from shrapnel.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen's civil war, leading a bombing campaign against the Houthi rebels and enforcing a de facto naval blockade of the impoverished nation.

The rebels have on numerous occasions targeted maritime traffic in the Red Sea, threatening the kingdom's main source of income. Saudi Arabia accuses its arch-rival Iran of providing weapons and training to the Houthis.

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