Muscat, June 13: At least two vessel were hit by explosions in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. The crew members of the affected oil tankers have been rescued safely. Both the vessels - Norwegian Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous - are still afloat. Crude oil prices jumped by 4.5 per cent following the attack.

"Today, June 13 at 6:03 am, the Front Altair, a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, was attacked between the Emirates and Iran," said the statement issued by the Norwegian Maritime Authority. Oil Price Jumps After Gulf of Oman Tanker 'Attacks'

"Three explosions on board the vessel were reported. The crew boarded a passing vessel and no injuries have been reported." Meanwhile, the US 5th Fleet, based in the region, said it had received two "distress signals" from tankers in the Gulf of Oman which had been targeted in an "attack".

The Iranian news agency IRNA said Tehran had come to the aid of "two foreign tankers" that had had an "accident", citing an "informed source".

Thursday's incident comes one month after a series of presumed mysterious "acts of sabotage" targeted four commercial vessels, including a Norwegian tanker. Saudi Arabia had attributed those acts to Iran. Norwegian authorities called on its ships in the region to exercise extra caution.

"Even if the background for these attacks is not totally clear, the Norwegian Maritime Authority recommends, after today's episode, to stay well clear of Iranian waters until further notice," it said.

(With agency inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2019 06:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).