An oil tanker, the Dubai-based, Panama-flagged MT Louis, was struck by a fire off the coast of Oman after a blaze erupted in its engine room. All 27 Indian crew members on board escaped without injury. Quick action by the crew to contain the flames prevented any loss of life.
Investigations have since indicated that the incident was not caused by a technical fault. The vessel was reportedly the target of a deliberate, planned attack using limpet mines, setting it apart from an accidental engine room fire.
According to preliminary accounts, unidentified individuals approached the tanker in a small boat and secretly fixed two limpet mines to the underside of its engine room before leaving the scene. The devices detonated shortly afterwards, sparking the fire. International media reports have pointed to Iran’s involvement. Amid rising US-Iran tensions, the incident is believed to be the first successful use of such mines in the current standoff.
Limpet mines are specialized naval explosives, cone-shaped and named after the sea snails that cling to shoreline rocks. Fitted with powerful magnets, they adhere firmly to a ship’s steel hull. Their purpose is typically to disable a vessel rather than sink it, so they are placed on critical areas such as the propellers, steering gear and engine room. They are planted by naval divers or by operatives arriving in small speedboats, and are triggered by remote control or timer.
Similar attacks on tankers in West Asia date back to 2017. The targeting of commercial vessels with such low-cost technology near the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint vital to global trade, is a growing concern for the international shipping industry.