Two British Royal Navy ships based in Bahrain collided on Saturday, an official statement said.
The Royal Navy’s elite minesweepers, HMS Chiddingfold and HMS Bangor, were involved in the accident after Chiddingfold rammed the docked Bangor.
“First of all I would like to stress that thankfully nobody was hurt in the collision, but some damage was sustained,” Ahlgren said and stressed that “a full and thorough investigation is already underway and any changes in procedure that could prevent further incidents will be rapidly implemented.”
The two vessels are in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Kipion, the UK’s long-term air and maritime presence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, and will remain on further missions. Ahlgren said:
In the meantime, the UK will continue to play a key part in ensuring the safety of merchant shipping in the region.
The UK has increased its naval presence in the region since 7 October, when Israel launched a devastating offensive in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 24,762 Palestinians and injuring 62,108, according to Palestinian health authorities.
