United States: The US navy has captured five attackers who seized an Israel-linked cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden amid missile attacks from Houthi-controlled Yemen.
“The destroyer USS Mason responded to a SOS call from a commercial tanker that had been taken over by armed assailants in the Gulf,” US Central Command announced.
The Liberian-flagged tanker, which had been hauling phosphoric acid, was identified as the Central Park by the vessel’s company. The ship is managed by Zodiac Maritime, a London-headquartered international ship management firm owned by Israel’s Ofer family.
The US military noted that the USS Mason, with help from allied ships, demanded that the commercial ship be released by the attackers.
“Subsequently, five armed individuals debarked the ship and attempted to flee via their small boat. The Masons pursued the attackers, resulting in their eventual surrender,” US Central Command said in a statement.
The statement added that two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen in the general direction of the Mason and Central Park but landed about 10 nautical miles away from the vessels, resulting in no damage or injuries.
Yemen’s government in Aden accused the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of the attack. But the rebels, who control Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, did not take responsibility for either the seizure or the missile attack.
Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations Agency (UKMTO) stated that it was aware of a possible attack in southwest Aden and called on other vessels to exercise caution.
The US has blamed Iran for unclaimed attacks on several vessels in the region in the past few years. But Tehran has denied involvement in the attacks.
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