Vessel owned by Israeli tycoon's firm attacked in Indian Ocean

By Abdel Ra'ouf

JERUSALEM (AA) – A shipping vessel owned by an Israeli magnate was attacked on Friday in the Indian Ocean while en route from Tanzania to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The attack on the vessel Mercer Street was confirmed by the Zodiac Maritime company, based in London, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.

It said the vessel is Japanese and is operated by a London-based company owned by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer.

Earlier, Israeli media quoted a statement by the British Defense Ministry 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