Attacks on two tankers off the coast of Iraq - one Greek-owned

Search and rescue operations are underway to locate "missing persons", Iraqi state television reported in the early hours of the morning, citing the director of the Iraqi Ports Authority, Farhan al-Fartoushi.

Al-Ikhbariya television network broadcast footage showing a ship at sea, from which thick smoke and flames are rising.

In a banner text broadcast at the same time, the network reported the “death of a crew member” of one of the two ships, citing Mr. Fartoushi.

Ikhbariya also reported that 38 sailors had been rescued and that searches were “ongoing” to locate the “missing.”

Earlier, Mr. Fartoushi told the Reuters news agency that the two ships were on fire.

According to CNN, the two ships that were hit are the Maltese-flagged Zefyros and the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu. The Zefyros was preparing to dock in Khor al-Zubayr to load 30,000 tons of naphtha (a product used mainly by the petrochemical industry) after unloading a previous cargo.

The Safesea Vishnu is registered as the US-based Safesea Transport Inc. and is chartered by an Iraqi company, while the Zefyros is owned by a Greek company.

Iraqi oil trading company SOMO said the ships were attacked “while in the side loading area within Iraqi territorial waters.”