Another oil tanker has been struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on October 4 (local time).

This marks the fourth time this month that the UKMTO has reported a vessel being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.

The UKMTO stated on the same day, "A report of an incident has been received in the Strait of Hormuz," adding that "an oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile, resulting in damage to the engine room."

It added that the crew members are safe, no environmental damage has been reported, and authorities are investigating the incident.

The exact time and location of the incident were not disclosed in detail.

Including this incident, the UKMTO has disseminated four reports of vessel attacks near the Strait of Hormuz this month.

On October 2, the UKMTO reported that it had received a third-party report stating that an oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile on October 1, causing a fire, though the crew members were safe.

At the time, the UKMTO did not disclose detailed information such as the ship's name or registry, but the vessel was known to be the Kuwaiti-flagged oil tanker Kazimah 3.

On October 2, the agency reported that an oil tanker exiting the Strait of Hormuz was also struck by an unknown projectile, resulting in a small fire and a power outage, and that about 10 hours later, a report came in that another crude oil carrier was hit by an unknown projectile 4 nautical miles east of Oman.

In connection with this, Iran's Fars News Agency reported on October 3 that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran had attacked at least seven oil tankers over the past five days, including two Kuwaiti vessels such as the Kazimah 3 and three vessels from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)