Iraqi oil loadings briefly suspended after drone hits tanker at Basra, sources say

BASRA, July 16 (Reuters) - Iraq briefly suspended oil loadings on Thursday after a drone hit an oil tanker at its Basra terminal, four Iraqi oil and security sources told Reuters, before later resuming them.

The drone did not cause damage or fire and it was not immediately clear who launched it, the sources added.

In a statement the oil ministry said reports of a halt to crude exports from the southern ports due to an alleged drone attack were inaccurate, and that loading operations were continuing as normal.

The ministry said its investigation found the incident involved a tanker reporting the sighting of a foreign object in its vicinity, and that no fire or damage to the vessel had occurred.

The incident was not a direct attack on the Basra terminals or vessels there, the head of Iraq's state oil marketer SOMO told Reuters.