A US Navy warship responded to a distress call from a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden that had been seized by armed individuals and the vessel is now safe, reports Reuters quoting US officials.
The tanker had been carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid. The officials did not identify the attackers.
Tanker in Middle East safe from attackers
In a statement, the US military said the USS Mason, with help from allied ships, demanded that the commercial ship be released by the attackers. Five armed individuals tried to escape on a fast boat but were chased by the US warship and they eventually surrendered.
The statement added that two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi controlled parts of Yemen towards the general direction of the Mason, but they landed about 10 nautical miles away from them and there was no damage or injuries.
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since a brutal war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas broke out on October 7.
It followed a seizure of an Israeli-linked cargo ship by Yemen Houthis, allies of Iran, in the southern Red Sea last week. The group, which also fired ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel, vowed to target more Israeli vessels.
The vessel carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid, was involved in a suspected piracy incident while crossing international waters, approximately 54 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. Phosphoric acid is mostly used for fertilisers.
“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard. The Turkish captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals,” the statement added.
Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said on Sunday 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. Tehran has denied involvement.
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Source: Reuters
