US Central Command said the missile was launched from an A Yemen Area controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels Monday collided with a Norwegian-flagged tanker.
A Houthi military spokesman said pro-Iranian rebels had targeted the tanker with a rocket.
The Houthis have taken over
“The naval forces of the Yemeni armed forces carried out a standard military operation against the Norwegian ship Strinda loaded with oil,” Houthi spokesman Yahya Saari said.
Saari said the Houthis will continue to block all ships bound for Israeli ports until Israel allows food and medical aid. Gaza Strip.
The attack on the oil and chemical tanker expands the group’s campaign to target vessels near the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
What do we know about the attack?
There was damage to the tanker, which led to a fire on board, and no casualties were reported at the time, US officials said.
“The motor tanker Strinta was hit by an estimated anti-ship missile (ASCM) while passing through Bab-el-Mandeb from Yemen’s Houthi-controlled area,” US CENTCOM said in a statement. Alluding to the strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
The attack on STRINDA took place about 60 nautical miles (111 kilometers) north of Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Reuters news agency quoted a US defense official as saying.
“All crew members are safe and sound,” said Strinda’s operator, J. said Geir Belsnes, CEO of Ludwig Mowinkels Rederi.
“The ship is now proceeding to safe harbor.”
The command said no US ships were nearby at the time of the attack, but the USS Mason, a US Navy destroyer, provided assistance from there.
The French military later said it had targeted a drone targeting Strinta to prevent the ship from being diverted from its course.
What do we know about the ship?
The vessel was on its way to the Suez Canal in Egypt after loading vegetable oil and biofuels in Malaysia, according to ship monitoring agency Marinetraffic.
It is not clear if the ship has any connection to Israel. The Houthis have They stepped up attacks against ships The October 7 terror attacks by the radical Islamist group Hamas on key shipping lanes have been fueled by Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip.
There are also Houthis Launched drones and missiles in Israel.
On Saturday, pro-Iranian rebels made the pledge Target all ships Sailing to Israel warns international shipping companies against handling Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality.
rmt,rc/rt (AP, Reuters)
