Gaza Freedom Flotilla Reports Drone Attack, Vessel on Fire

VALLETTA, Malta — A Gaza freedom flotilla reported that one of its vessels is on fire after a drone attack off the coast of Malta in international waters. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the incident occurred just after midnight local time and prompted the crew to issue an SOS.

Yasemin Acar, the Coalition’s Press Officer, told CNN that there were 30 people aboard the ship when the attack took place. “There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking,” Acar said in a phone call from Malta.

Acar stated the vessel had sent SOS calls to nearby countries, including Malta, and a small boat from Southern Cyprus was dispatched to assist. After the SOS was sent, Acar managed to reach some crew members.

Video shared by the coalition showed flames and smoke coming from the ship, along with the sound of two loud explosions in a separate clip. CNN has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of these videos.

<p“Our vessel is 17 kilometers off the shores of Malta right now in international waters, and they have been subjected to a drone attack twice,” Acar explained. She noted that the generators at the front of the ship appeared to be the target. “This boat, however, is not providing electricity that is needed on the vessel right now,” she added.

Acar expressed concern for the crew, stating, “We have 30 international human rights activists on that vessel at this very moment on a vessel that is sinking.” The flotilla has not attributed the drone attack to any specific party.

Marine traffic websites identified the ship, Conscience, as flying under the Palau flag and indicated that it was situated off the eastern coast of Malta on Friday morning. This is a developing story and will be updated.