Limpet mines hit tanker with 27 Indians onboard in Strait of Hormuz; all crew safe | Know what limpet mines are
A tanker with 27 Indian seafarers was hit by limpet mines near Hormuz. Sonowal says all are safe. Know what limpet mines are and why they are being used
PTC Web Desk: A crude oil tanker carrying 27 Indian seafarers was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, but every Indian onboard came out unharmed, Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed.
Sonowal said in a post on X that the crew of MT Louise 1, a Panama-flagged vessel, was “completely safe with no injuries.” The attack set the ship on fire.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the incident took place about 25 nautical miles (roughly 46 km) northeast of Khasab in Oman. Nobody has yet claimed responsibility and it is still unclear who was behind it.
Sonowal also said another ship, the Liberia-flagged VLCC MT Arzanah, was struck by a projectile. Two Indians were on board and both are reported to be safe.
How the attack happened
Three maritime sources said a small boat pulled up to the tanker and fixed two limpet mines to its hull. The blast started a fire and left the ship temporarily disabled. This is the first time such devices have been used successfully in Hormuz since the US-Iran conflict began. An earlier attempt in September reportedly failed because the explosives did not go off, according to two of its sources.
The tanker has a troubled past too. In July, Ukrainian forces hit it with naval drones in the Black Sea. Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, said the vessel helped move Russian oil as part of a so-called shadow fleet that keeps Moscow’s exports going.
Iran reports more tankers on fire
A day later, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said four oil tankers had caught fire and exploded in the strait while trying to use routes it called unauthorised. The IRGC said one of them, loaded with 2 million barrels of crude, had struck a naval mine. This has not been independently confirmed.
Why Hormuz is on edge
Before the conflict, the strait was one of the world’s most important routes for energy shipping. The tension began in February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran hit back at American interests and bases in Gulf countries and effectively shut down passage through the strait.
Iran says it targets ships that break its rules on crossing the waterway, as it tries to use control of the route to pressure Washington. The US, for its part, has imposed a naval blockade on Iran and US Central Command has struck and disabled Iranian and Iran-linked tankers.
What are limpet mines?
Limpet mines are small naval explosives that stick directly to a ship’s hull, usually with strong magnets or clamps. British special forces developed them for sabotage missions during World War II.
Greece-based maritime risk group Marisks said they first appeared in West Asia in 2017 and have been used against tankers in Hormuz since then. The reason is simple, the group said: they are cheap and easy to get. In its words, using a small boat to plant them on passing ships is a low-tech but very effective method.