Iranian Navy has reported 19 deaths and 15 injuries in a ‘friendly-fire’ incident in Oman Sea on Sunday.
As per the details, the incident occurred near near Bandar-e Jask, off the southern coast of the Islamic republic, and involved Konarak vessel of the Iranian Navy, which was hit by a missile fired from Moudge-class frigate Jamaran.
“The vessel was hit after moving a practice target to its destination and not creating enough distance between itself and the target,” said the official statement issued on Iranian state television.
The konarak is a logistical support vessel and was overhauled in 2018, it can anti-ship cruise missiles.
Iran regularly holds exercises in the region, which is closed to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow region of the Persian Gulf through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes.
Prior to this, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane in January, killing all 176 people on board.
