Tug Hit by Two Unidentified Projectiles off the UAE’s Khor Fakkan, UKMTO Says
A tug sailing south off the United Arab Emirates’ east coast was hit by two unidentified projectiles on Sunday 18 October 2026, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) said. The vessel was damaged but kept going, and one person suffered minor injuries.
What UKMTO reported
In Warning 177-26, classed as an attack, UKMTO said it had received a report of an incident north-east of Khor Fakkan, a port on the UAE’s Gulf of Oman coast south of the Strait of Hormuz. The tug “has sustained damage but is continuing on its route”, the notice said. UKMTO listed the source as “Verified” and the time of the incident as “TBC”. It posted the warning on X at 04:26 UTC (08:26 UAE time).
The notice did not name the tug, its flag or its operator, and did not say what kind of projectiles were involved or where they came from. UKMTO advised ships to transit with caution and report suspicious activity “whilst authorities investigate”. Reuters, carried by Arab News, and Anadolu Agency reported the same details. By late morning on 18 October no government or armed group had claimed the attack, and DefenceMENA had found no statement from the UAE authorities.
Three other UKMTO attack warnings in three days
The tug report is the fourth attack warning UKMTO has issued since 16 October:
- 174-26: a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 68 nautical miles north-east of Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia, at 09:00 UTC on 16 October. The crew were evacuated and reported safe.
- 175-26: the master of a tanker reported an attack with a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a small boat 78 nautical miles north-east of Al Jubayl at 19:22 UTC on 16 October, damaging the aft port quarter. The crew were safe.
- 176-26: a small skiff with seven people on board fired two shots at an LNG tanker 140 nautical miles south-east of Al Mukalla, Yemen, at 10:30 UTC on 17 October. The tanker’s armed security team fired two warning shots and the skiff changed course.
Reuters said it could not establish whether the two Al Jubayl reports described the same incident. UKMTO has not linked any of the four events to each other or to a particular actor.
Regional context
The incidents come amid sustained pressure on Gulf shipping. On 13 October the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride sank in the Strait of Hormuz after being struck by what Singapore’s maritime authority called unknown projectiles; Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the ship had hit mines. DefenceMENA set out what each side has confirmed about that sinking. On land, Saudi Arabia continues to report Houthi missile and drone attacks, and on 18 October the Saudi-led coalition said a National Guard AH-6i helicopter had crashed in Najran, killing its two-officer crew.
What to watch
Points to watch: the tug’s identity and the extent of the damage, any UAE or flag-state statement, any claim of responsibility, and whether UKMTO or the Joint Maritime Information Center publishes further detail on the type of weapon used. DefenceMENA will update this report.
Sources
- UKMTO: Warning 177-26 (18 October 2026); 174-26, 175-26 and 176-26; UKMTO post on X
- Reuters via Arab News: marine tug targeted by two projectiles off Khor Fakkan; tanker struck by unknown projectile off Saudi Arabia
- Anadolu Agency: Tugboat struck by 2 unknown projectiles off UAE
