The agency advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution.

LONDON, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Three separate maritime security incidents involving commercial vessels were reported in waters near the Strait of Hormuz within three hours, according to the latest daily summary released by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency on Saturday.

UKMTO said the regional security environment remains volatile, with ongoing military activity continuing to pose risks to commercial shipping.

In the first incident, a tanker was approached by two Islamic Revolution Guard Corps gunboats about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The master reported that the vessels opened fire on the tanker without issuing a prior VHF radio challenge. The tanker and all crew members were reported safe.

In the second incident, a container ship was struck by an unknown projectile about 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman, with several containers on board damaged.

No fires or environmental impact were reported.

In the third incident, a commercial vessel reported seeing a splash in close proximity to the ship while transiting about three nautical miles east of Oman. No further details on damage or threat were immediately available.

The agency advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution.  ■