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The Iraqi Petroleum Marketing Company, “SOMO,” said on Saturday that speculation about the object, which was classified as a marine mine attached to a tanker, linking the matter to crude exports, “is not based on the reality”.
Somo pointed out that the aforementioned tanker has been present in the Al-Mithhaf area, near Khor Al-Zubair, since the date of November 5.
The company emphasized that “everything is far from the oil port of Basra, and there is no danger for the export of crude, nor for the incoming and anchored tankers to load crude.”
The company said that the export continues at the expected rates.
And he indicated that security services concerned about the security of Iraq’s ports and waters are currently working to address the problem and limit its impact.
Security Media Cell in Iraq had issued an explanation about the marine mine that was found on a ship in Basra governorate, and the cell said in a statement that a foreign body had been observed attached to a ship in the ship waiting area. in international waters, 28 nautical miles away.
The cell added: “It was found that this ship was leased to the SOMO Oil Marketing Company, and along with it another ship that refueled. Immediately the explosives handling team of the Ministry of the Interior and in coordination with the naval force Iraqi went to the ship in question. “
“Despite the strong and severe movement of the waves, the team was able to evacuate the other ship and keep the ship showing a large marine mine attached to it, and the treatment team is still working to neutralize this mine and evacuate the target ship. , and our naval forces are making great efforts with the treatment team to accomplish this mission, “the statement continued.
The Basra Police Directorate had denied the existence of a plan to blow up the port of Umm Qasr with a booby-trapped ship “similar to the bombing of the Lebanese port of Beirut,” according to the statement.
The management said in a statement that “some social media pages spread false news” in this regard, stating that “the news is false and shameful.”
The discovery comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States in the final days of the administration of US President Donald Trump.
A sticky mine is a type of sea mine that is attached to the side of a ship, usually by a member of the Special Forces divers. The mine would later explode and could cause significant damage to the ship.
