Incident may be linked to US-Iran armed conflict near Strait of Hormuz

A cargo ship floats off the coast of the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the main container port of the Emirate of Sharjah and the only natural deep-water port in the region, on the Gulf of Oman, on June 28 (local time). [AFP]
A cargo ship floats off the coast of the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the main container port of the Emirate of Sharjah and the only natural deep-water port in the region, on the Gulf of Oman, on June 28 (local time). [AFP]

Qatar's Interior Ministry confirmed June 28 (local time) that one Qatari national died during a search operation for a missing vessel.

According to the ministry, coast guard units launched a search after receiving a report Friday evening that a boat carrying two people had failed to return at its scheduled time.

Coast guard personnel located the vessel in the early hours of June 28 and confirmed that a Qatari national had died from injuries caused by "shrapnel from military operations in the area." The other person on board, described as an Arab national, was wounded and transferred to a hospital.

The Interior Ministry added that "an investigation into the incident will continue in accordance with the law."

The incident may be connected to armed clashes between the United States and Iran near the Strait of Hormuz over the previous two days, despite the two countries having signed a memorandum of understanding on ending the war. Qatar, along with Pakistan, has been mediating end-of-war negotiations between Washington and Tehran.


yckim6452@heraldcorp.com