TEHRAN: An Iranian missile fired its own ship leaving 19 Iranian sailors killed and 15 others wounded, Iran’s army in a statement on its website said on Monday.

The incident took place during a training exercise in the Gulf of Oman. The support ship was targeted inadvertently. The Konarak, a Hendijan-class support ship, was too close to the target. The vessel was placing targets for other ships in the sea.

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“On Sunday afternoon, during an exercise by a number of the navy’s vessels in Jask and Chabahar waters, the Konarak light support vessel had an accident,” the Iranian army said.

“The number of this accident’s martyrs is 19 and 15 have also been injured,” it added, saying the vessel had been towed ashore.

At least a navy sailor has been killed & several injured in a naval accident on a light Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday pic.twitter.com/2del4M6ZMw

— ISNA International (@Isna_Int) May 11, 2020

“Iran’s Moudge-class frigate Jamaran accidentally hit the Konarak ship with a missile during the exercise,” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.