US Central Command said a missile fired from a Yemeni area controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a Norwegian-flagged tanker on Monday.
A Houthi military spokesperson said the Iranian-backed rebels had targeted the tanker with a rocket after the crew refused to respond to its warning calls.
Houthi claim responsibility
“The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a qualitative military operation against the Norwegian ship Strinda, which was loaded with oil” headed for Israel, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said.
Saree said the Houthis would continue blocking all ships heading to Israeli ports until Israel allows the entry of food and medical aid into the Gaza Strip.
The assault on the oil and chemical tanker expands a campaign by the group targeting ships close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
What we know about the attack
The tanker reported damage which led to a fire on board, US officials said, adding that no casualties were reported at the time.
“The Motor Tanker STRINDA was attacked by what is assessed to have been an Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen while passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb,” US CENTCOM said in a statement, in reference to the strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
The attack on STRINDA took place some 60 nautical miles (111 kilometers) north of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Reuters news agency cited a US defense official as saying.
“All crew members are unhurt and safe,” said Geir Belsnes, the CEO of the Strinda’s operator, J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi.
“The vessel is now proceeding to a safe port.”
The command also said that no US ships were in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but that US Navy destroyer USS Mason was there and provided aid.
What do we know about the vessel?
The vessel had loaded vegetable oil and biofuels in Malaysia, and was en route to the Suez Canal in Egypt, ship tracking firm Marinetraffic said.
It was not clear whether the vessel had any ties to Israel. The Houthis have stepped up attacks against vessels in vital shipping lanes since the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, prompted by the October 7 terror attacks by the militant, Islamist group Hamas.
Houthis have also fired drones and missiles at Israel.
On Saturday, the Iran-backed rebels vowed to target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality, warning international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.
rmt,rc/rt (AP, Reuters)
