A Greek-flagged oil tanker was adrift in the Red Sea yesterday after repeated attacks on the ship that started a fire on the vessel and caused the vessel to lose power, the UK maritime agency has said. Iran-aligned Houthi terrorists have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and the terror outfit Hamas. Houthi terrorists, though, have so far not claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attacks.
Terrorists on two small boats attacked the Sounion, hitting it with multiple projectiles about 77 nautical miles west of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah yesterday morning, the Greek shipping ministry and the UK Maritime Trade Operations have stated.
There was a brief exchange of small arms fire during the incident, the UKMTO said. In a later update, the UKMTO said the ship reported another attack that caused the fire and led the vessel to lose engine power and the ability to manoeuvre.
There were no reports of injuries among the 25 crew members, made up of two Russians and 23 Filipinos. Delta Tankers, the ship’s operator, confirmed the ship was adrift and had sustained minor damage. The crew were assessing the situation and the ship would proceed on its journey, it said in a statement.
Sounion is the third Delta Tanker-operated ship targeted by the Houthis. The terrorists earlier this month attacked the Liberia-flagged Delta Atlantica and Delta Blue tanker ships in separate attacks.
Also on Wednesday, the captain of a different cargo ship sailing off the coast of Aden reported a total of five explosions in nearby waters, UKMTO said, later identifying the vessel as the SW North Wind I. The crew and the ship were unharmed in the attacks.
The U.S.-based owner and manager of the Panama-flagged SW North Wind I did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Houthis’ months-long campaign against commercial shipping has continued despite retaliatory strikes by Britain and the United States, which have shot down drones and bombed attack sites in Yemen.
The assaults have forced ship owners to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to the longer route around the southern tip of Africa, cascading costs and delays through global supply chains.
The Houthi attacks have sunk two ships and killed at least three crew members. The Houthis have said the attacks will not stop until Israel stops its “aggression” in Gaza.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
