U.S. Navy destroyer collides with merchant ship off Iraq

U.S. Navy destroyer collides with merchant ship off Iraq The 'USS McCampbell' (DDG-85), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, collided Saturday evening with the 'Royka 1,' a merchant vessel, in the North Persian Gulf about 30 miles southeast of the coast of Iraq.
   Four sailors, two on each ship, received minor injuries and were treated by a medical corpsman on the 'McCampbell.'
   The Kiribati-flagged 'Royka 1' and the destroyer both received damage to their bows but were deemed seaworthy, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.
   The 'McCampbell,' home-ported in San Diego, was on a six-month deployment conducting maritime security operations that protect Iraqi oil terminals, the Navy explained.
   The cause of the accident, which occurred at 11:09 p.m. Saturday, is being investigated.