Container ship sinks near Hormuz after being hit by unknown projectile

LONDON — A container ship has sunk near the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a ​projectile, while a separate dry bulk carrier damaged in an earlier attack is also reported to be sinking, maritime security sources said on Wednesday.The Singapore-flagged vessel’s UAE-based manager GFS Ship Management FZE could not be immediately reached for comment.Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore confirmed that Singapore-flagged GFS Pride has sunk since a projectile strike caused damage and a fire onboard. All 21 crew were safely evacuated, it added.The loss of the GFS Pride marks the second vessel to ⁠sink since the US-Iran war began ‌on Feb. 28, ‌according to data from UN shipping ​agency, the International ‌Maritime Organization.In a separate incident, the Antigua ‌and Barbuda-flagged Cape Dao was reported to be sinking close to the strait after being struck by a projectile on September 23, the sources added.The ‌vessel’s UAE-based manager Peonies Shipmanagement FZE could not be immediately reached for ⁠comment.“The ⁠Antigua & Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier CAPE DAO, originally hit on 23 September, is reported to be sinking after an unsuccessful rescue attempt,” British maritime risk management group Vanguard said in a note on Wednesday.British maritime security agency UKMTO has issued four new warnings of separate attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, reporting strikes on a tanker and three container ships on October 13.The vessels were each hit by unknown projectiles and were not identified in the warning notices, but Vanguard Tech has identified the container ships as GFS Pride, GFS Giselle, and Al Saadiyat and the tanker as Alfonso.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed a container ship struck a mine in waters south of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Sepah News.In a statement, the IRGC Navy claimed the ship was carrying 2,500 containers and attempted to transit an “unauthorised and dangerous” route through the Strait. The mine explosion caused a severe fire onboard and the vessel sank, it claimed.