Red Sea: Houthis target two tanker vessels
Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched multiple attacks at two tanker vessels transiting the Red Sea yesterday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
PHOTO: A large oil tanker. Getty Images
The Yemen-based militant group attacked MT Bentley I, a Panama-flagged and Israeli-owned tanker vessel, with three surface vessels, one unmanned surface vessel (USV), and two small boats, CENTCOM reported.
According to CENTCOM, the MT Bentley I was transporting vegetable oil from Russia to China. During the initial assault, there were no reports of any damage to the vessel. Later on, the Houthis fired another anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) in the direction of the ship.
Separately, the militant group launched a USV toward MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged and Greek-operated crude oil tanker, yesterday. The missile caused some damage to the vessel, CENTCOM reported.
The Yemeni militia’s spokesperson Yahya Sare’e claimed responsibility for both attacks on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The US naval forces successfully destroyed five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) yesterday, three of which were over the Red Sea and two over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
The Houthis have used UAS, USV, and ASBM to attack commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea. These repeated attacks on commercial vessels have heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and raised safety concerns in the global shipping industry.
By Aparupa Mazumder
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