On Friday, the CMA CGM Symi, a commercial vessel managed by a French team and owned by Eastern Pacific Shipping, a Singapore-based shipping company, was struck by a Shahed-136 drone in the Indian Ocean's international waters. The ship, with a capacity of 15,264 TEUs, experienced an explosion upon the drone's impact. Today, it was confirmed that while the vessel sustained considerable material damage, all crew members were safe with no reported casualties.
The CMA CGM Symi is part of Eastern Pacific Shipping's fleet, a firm owned by Israeli magnate Idan Ofer. The vessel had departed from Jebel Ali port with its AIS system disabled amid maritime threats as a crew safety measure. Authorities are currently investigating whether the attack could be linked to the ongoing tensions related to the Gaza conflict, given Ofer's nationality and business ties. U.S. officials implicated Iran in the attack but did not divulge evidence.
The incident has raised concerns over maritime security in the region and the potential escalation of hostilities involving commercial shipping lanes. This event occurred amidst a fragile truce halting active combat between Israel and Hamas, who were engaging in hostage and prisoner swaps at the time.
Security firm Ambrey cited the ship's Israeli ties via Eastern Pacific Shipping as a probable cause for targeting during the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. An initial report about an assault on an Israeli-linked ship in the Indian Ocean was made by pro-Hezbollah channel Al-Mayadeen and later reiterated by Iranian media. The U.S. military continues to observe the situation closely amidst fears of regional conflict escalation.
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