Limpet Mines Attached by Divers Used in Attacks on Tankers Off UAE Coast - Statement

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th June, 2019) The attack on four oil tankers off the UAE coast was likely to be perpetrated by trained divers using limpet mines, according to a joint statement by Norway, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the result of their investigation into the case, shared with Sputnik.

On Thursday, representatives of the three nations briefed the UN Security Council on the results of their probe.

"The assessment of the damage to the four vessels and the chemical analysis of the debris recovered revealed it was highly likely that limpet mines were used in the attacks on the four vessels on 12 May 2019 ... The attacks required trained divers; the explosive charges were placed with a high degree of precision under the waterline, in ways that were designed to incapacitate the ships without sinking them or detonating their cargoes - indicating minute knowledge of the design of the targeted ships," the statement read.

Limpet mines are naval explosives attached to vessels by magnets.

The document continued by suggesting that the divers had been brought to the area by fast boats, saying the operation required expert navigation of such vessels.

It noted the high degree of coordination required for carrying out the attacks, suggesting they might have been perpetrated by several groups of people. The document explained the suggestions by noting that all four explosive charges had detonated within one hour.

The statement added that the attacks had been committed by "an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor."

One Norwegian-registered, one UAE-flagged and two Saudi tankers were attacked off the port of Fujairah in the UAE exclusive economic zone on May 12.

The United States and Saudi Arabia, its middle Eastern ally, have accused Iran of staging the attack in a bid to disrupt Middle Eastern oil exports. Tehran has denied the allegations.