A missile has struck a tanker near the Yemeni water borders. The ship was traversing the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which divides East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
The Strinda, under the ownership of Norway, crashed yesterday at around 21:00 GMT , according to the United States Central Command. According to the CENTCOM announcement, the ship “was attacked while passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb by what is believed to have been an Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.”
On its official website, the Norwegian shipping firm Mowinckels Rederi, located in Bergen, states that the crude oil and chemical tanker Strinda is a component of its fleet and was sailing to Italy.
The ship was “hit by a missile,” according to chief executive Geir Belsnes, who also acknowledged that it had taken fire. None of the workers sustained any injuries as they successfully put out the fire. The safety and welfare of the seafarers on board have been the primary concern.
The assault on the ship occurs as threats against local commercial vessels in the wake of intensification of the Israel-Hamas. The Houthis of Yemen, who get support from Iran, have attacked ships in the Red Sea many times and fired drones and rockets at Israel. They have vowed to destroy any vessel they think is headed toward or originating in Israel.
Did Houthis Target the Tanker?
The Houthi group did not take credit for the assault immediately. Meanwhile, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the rebel military’s spokeswoman, was quoted by the Associated Press as stating that a significant statement will be made shortly.
A fire aboard an unnamed vessel was earlier reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations to be occurring around 15 miles from a Yemeni port. Ship security notifications are issued by the naval agency located at the center.
The coordinates match the Strinda’s last known position, which is a member of the Mowinckels Rederi fleet located in Bergen. An email requesting comment was not immediately answered by the corporation. The USS Mason followed the Strinda’s mayday signal and offered support, according to CENTCOM.
Though they haven’t explicitly stated that their ships had been targeted, both the United States and France have stated that Houthi drones were approaching their ships when they were shot down in self-defense. Both Israel and Washington have so far refrained from immediately responding to the strikes; Israel’s military maintains that the ships have no connection to their nation.
In the Red Sea in the vicinity of Yemeni shores, the Houthis took control of a vehicle transport ship that was connected to Israel. The ship is still under the group’s control close to Hodeidah port. Separately, a suspected Iranian drone attacked a container ship in the Indian Ocean that belonged to an Israeli millionaire.
