1 killed, 3 hurt as US vessel fires on boat off UAE coast
Source: Agencies |
July 17, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AN American vessel fired on a boat yesterday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, killing one person and injuring three others, according to a United States consular official in Dubai.
The official gave no other details, but it appeared the boat could have been mistaken as a threat in Gulf waters not far from Iran's maritime boundaries.
Dozens of police and other Emirati officials crowded around the white-hulled boat, which sat docked after the incident in a small Dubai port used by fishermen and sailors.
The boat appeared to be a civilian vessel about 9 meters long and powered by three outboard motors. Similar boats are used for fishing in the region, though Iran's Revolutionary Guard also employs relatively small, fast-moving craft in the Gulf.
Rescue workers were seen carrying one person in a body bag off the boat and placing it in an ambulance. Officials moved the boat from the harbor shortly afterward.
An Emirati rescue official at the scene confirmed the casualty toll. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
US military vessels routinely cross paths with Iranian ships in international waters in the Gulf without incident, but speed boats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard have passed close to US ships in incidents that have raised alarm in Washington.
In early 2008, then US president George W. Bush accused Iran of a "provocative act" after five small Iranian craft buzzed around the destroyer USS Hopper.
Tensions have heightened in the Gulf after Iran last week renewed threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz - the route for one-fifth of the world's oil - in retaliation for tighter sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program. The US recently boosted its naval presence in the Gulf with additional minesweepers and other warships.
The US Navy's 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, said it was investigating yesterday's shooting. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi had no immediate comment, referring all questions to the Navy.
Emirati officials could not be reached for comment.
The official gave no other details, but it appeared the boat could have been mistaken as a threat in Gulf waters not far from Iran's maritime boundaries.
Dozens of police and other Emirati officials crowded around the white-hulled boat, which sat docked after the incident in a small Dubai port used by fishermen and sailors.
The boat appeared to be a civilian vessel about 9 meters long and powered by three outboard motors. Similar boats are used for fishing in the region, though Iran's Revolutionary Guard also employs relatively small, fast-moving craft in the Gulf.
Rescue workers were seen carrying one person in a body bag off the boat and placing it in an ambulance. Officials moved the boat from the harbor shortly afterward.
An Emirati rescue official at the scene confirmed the casualty toll. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
US military vessels routinely cross paths with Iranian ships in international waters in the Gulf without incident, but speed boats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard have passed close to US ships in incidents that have raised alarm in Washington.
In early 2008, then US president George W. Bush accused Iran of a "provocative act" after five small Iranian craft buzzed around the destroyer USS Hopper.
Tensions have heightened in the Gulf after Iran last week renewed threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz - the route for one-fifth of the world's oil - in retaliation for tighter sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program. The US recently boosted its naval presence in the Gulf with additional minesweepers and other warships.
The US Navy's 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, said it was investigating yesterday's shooting. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi had no immediate comment, referring all questions to the Navy.
Emirati officials could not be reached for comment.
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