UPDATE - 2 killed as vessel owned by Israeli tycoon's firm attacked in Indian Ocean

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; CHANGES TITLE, DECK, LEDE; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Abdelraouf Arna'out

JERUSALEM (AA) – Two crew members of a shipping vessel owned by an Israeli magnate were killed in an attack in the Indian Ocean while en route from Tanzania to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the company said on Friday.

A UK and a Romanian crew members were killed in the attack on Thursday, said a statement issued by Zodiac Maritime, a London-based company owned by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer.

“With the profound sadness, we understand the incident onboard the M/T Mercer Street on 29 July, 2021, has resulted in the deaths of two crew members onboard: a Romanian national and a UK national. We are not aware of harm to any other personnel,” the company stated in a tweet.

The company said an investigation into the incident has begun, and it is working closely with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and other relevant authorities to uncover the perpetrators.

“Details of the incident are still being established and investigation into the incident is currently underway. We continue to work closely with the UKMTO and other relevant authorities. We have no additional details to share at this time,” it added.

Earlier, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted a statement by the British Defense Ministry as saying that an Israeli vessel was attacked off the coast of Oman, without giving further details.

In recent months, many attacks on commercial vessels have been reported and linked to ongoing heightened tension between Israel and Iran.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara.