Drones strike aid flotilla off Crete, vessels damaged

Activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla said late Tuesday and into the early hours of Wednesday that multiple drones attacked several vessels in the convoy as it sailed off the Greek island of Crete, causing explosions, damage to decks and widespread communications disruption. Organizers said the convoy, which set sail from Barcelona earlier this month and numbers about 51 boats, was carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The flotilla said in a statement that it experienced "multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed and explosions heard from a number of boats," without reporting any casualties. Accounts from activists varied on the scale of the incident. One organizer said 15 to 16 drones were sighted and that devices and explosive flares had been dropped on several vessels. Another reported about 10 separate attacks, while the flotilla later cited at least 13 nearby blasts. Crews described damage to sails and decks and said some crew members suffered hearing problems; one activist also alleged that a suspected chemical spray had been used.

Video posted by the flotilla showed an...