Four shipping vessels 'sabotaged' in Gulf of Oman

Muscat: Four civilian commercial vessels were reportedly subjected to sabotage operations near the UAE's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman.

According to the UAE news agency WAM: "The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, condemned the attacks on four commercial vessels near the UAE's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, towards the eastern coast near Fujairah and in the country's economic waters.

"Dr. Al Zayani described the incident as a dangerous development and escalation that expresses the evil intentions of those who planned and carried out these operations, which jeopardize the safety of maritime navigation in the region at great risk and threaten the lives of civilian crews working in vessels," the statement added.

The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council called on the international community and international maritime bodies to exercise their political and legal responsibilities to prevent any parties trying to undermine the security and safety of maritime traffic in this vital region of the world, stressing that such irresponsible practices would increase the degree of tension and conflict In the region and put the interests of their people at grave risk.

Both Oman and the UAE are members of the six-nation GCC. The other four nations are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.