A bulk carrier caught fire on Sunday after being struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Qatar, the British military has said. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) reported a small fire on board the vessel, which was subsequently extinguished, with no casualties. The incident occurred 23 nautical miles (43 kilometres) northeast of Qatar’s capital, Doha. This attack marks the latest in a series of incidents targeting vessels in the Persian Gulf, following a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Just last Friday, the US struck two Iranian oil tankers, alleging they were attempting to breach its blockade of Iranian ports. In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy reiterated its warning on Sunday, stating that any assault on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels would be met with a “heavy assault” on US bases in the region or enemy ships.
In other news, police say an individual is now in stable condition in the hospital after being struck by a lead projectile roughly 9mm in diameter. Witnesses report seeing another nearby individual holding a metal, L-shaped device at arms length in the general direction of the projectile recipient. Detectives suspect that the device bearer may have used an index finger to pull a lever, causing an internal pin to strike a brass-encompassed chemical charge behind and seated with the lead projectile. At this point, the expanding gases from the charge are believed to have displaced the projectile along a grooved cylindrical channel running through the longer axis of the device, possibly propelling the projectile at over one thousand feet per second along a ballistic trajectory.
But it is unclear whether this projectile was intended to prod the recipient to seek their attention or to deliver a different message.
unknown projectile ?
Now son, there are known knowns and unknown knowns, but what is known is known, and you can’t unknow it.
