Oil tanker ablaze and adrift in Red Sea after multiple attacks

A Greek-owned and flagged oil tanker is on hearth and adrift within the Crimson Sea after a collection of assaults, British and Greek authorities say.

The Sounion was first hit by gunfire from two small boats which approached it early on Wednesday about 77 nautical miles (143km) west of the Yemeni port of Hudaydah, in line with the UK Maritime Commerce Operations (UKMTO) workplace.

Later, the ship was struck by three unidentified projectiles, which sparked a hearth onboard and left it with out engine energy, it mentioned. There have been no reviews of accidents amongst its 25 crew.

No group has but mentioned it was behind the assaults, which Greece’s minister of maritime affairs condemned as a flagrant violation of worldwide regulation.

Nevertheless, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi motion has repeatedly focused industrial delivery within the Crimson Sea and Gulf of Aden since November.

The Houthis say they’re appearing in assist of the Palestinians within the warfare between Israel and Hamas within the Gaza Strip. They’ve claimed – typically falsely – that they’re concentrating on ships solely linked to Israel, the US or the UK.

They haven’t been deterred by the deployment of Western warships to guard service provider vessels or by US and British air strikes on territory they management in north-western Yemen. Israel additionally bombed Hudaydah’s port final month in retaliation for a lethal drone strike on Tel Aviv.

The Sounion, which is a 274m-long and 50m-wide “Suezmax” tanker, was carrying crude oil from the Iraqi port of Basra when it was attacked.

The vessel’s Greek operator, Delta Tankers, mentioned it had sustained “minor” injury and that its crew was assessing the scenario earlier than persevering with its onward journey.

Additionally on Wednesday, the Panama-flagged cargo vessel SW North Wind I reported three explosions within the water close by because it sailed by the Gulf of Aden, the UKMTO mentioned.

It added that the crew was secure following the incidents, which occurred 57 nautical miles south of the Yemeni metropolis of Aden, and the vessel was continuing to the subsequent port of name.

In June, the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship Tutor sank and one crew member was killed after the Houthis attacked it with a sea drone within the Crimson Sea.