LONDON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Sunday that a bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile near Qatar in the Gulf, causing a small fire that was later extinguished.
The incident occurred about 23 nautical miles (42.6 km) northeast of Doha in the Gulf. According to a UKMTO warning, no casualties or environmental damage were reported.
The incident came amid escalating maritime tensions in the Gulf. Several attacks against ships have been reported in the region over the past week.
On Friday, the United States struck two Iranian oil tankers after accusing them of attempting to breach a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
In response, the Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps warned on Saturday that any "aggression" against Iranian oil tankers and commercial vessels would trigger a heavy attack on one of the U.S. military centers in the region and on "enemy" ships. ■
