A tanker has been hit by multiple projectiles off the coast of Qatar, with casualties reported after the vessel came under attack in the western Gulf. The incident took place around 94 kilometres north of Madinat ash Shamal, according to maritime security information, raising fresh concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the region. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has warned of a renewed rise in attacks targeting commercial vessels around the Strait of Hormuz. The latest tanker strike is particularly significant because the vessel was targeted in the western half of the Gulf, an area where similar attacks have been comparatively rare in recent weeks. WATCH

A gas pipeline explosion near the Tishreen Thermal Power Plant in Syria’s Damascus countryside has triggered a major fire and knocked three power plants offline, putting further pressure on the country’s already strained electricity supply. The Syrian Electricity Company said the blast disrupted gas supplies to the Tishreen, Deir Ali and Nasiriyah power plants, reducing available generation capacity and warning that scheduled power rationing would increase. The explosion occurred in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, with emergency and specialized teams working to contain the resulting fire. Authorities have not immediately established the cause of the latest blast, while the incident comes just days after another gas pipeline fire in eastern Syria that Syrian officials described as sabotage. No group has claimed responsibility for either incident. WATCH