US navy ship, merchant vessel collide off Iraq

MANAMA (Reuters) – A United States Navy destroyer collided
with a merchant vessel off Iraq’s coast in the Gulf, injuring
four people, the Navy Fifth Fleet said on Sunday.

It said two U.S. soldiers and two crew members from the
merchant vessel were injured when the McCampbell and the
Kiribati-flagged Rokya 1 collided late on Saturday about 30
nautical miles southeast of the Iraqi coastline.

“The cause of the accident is under investigation,” it said
in a statement, adding that both ships had sustained damage to
their bows but were seaworthy.

McCampbell is conducting maritime security operations under
the Combined Task Force 58, which is responsible for the
security of Iraqi oil terminals, the Navy said.

Pro-Western Bahrain hosts the Fifth Fleet.