US says the Norwegian-registered Strinda caught hearth after it was struck however no casualties have been reported.
A tanker ship travelling by means of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula off the coast of Yemen has been hit by a missile.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stated the Strinda, a Norwegian-owned-and-operated ship, was hit at about midnight native time (21:00 GMT on Monday).
The ship “was attacked by what is assessed to have been an Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen while passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb”, CENTCOM stated in an announcement.
The Strinda, an oil and chemical tanker, is a part of the fleet of Bergen-based delivery agency Mowinckels Rederi, in line with its web site, and was on its technique to Italy.
Chief government Geir Belsnes confirmed that the ship had been “hit by a missile” and caught hearth.
“Fortunately, there were no injuries to any member of the crew, who managed to extinguish the fire,” Belsnes informed Al Jazeera in an e mail. “Our focus has been, and remains, the safety and well-being of the seafarers onboard.”
He added that the ship was now “proceeding to a safe port”.
The assault on the vessel comes as threats on business delivery within the space amid the Israel-Hamas conflict escalate. Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis have carried out a sequence of assaults on vessels within the Red Sea and launched drones and missiles focusing on Israel. In current days, they’ve threatened to focus on any vessel they imagine is both going to or coming from Israel.
The Houthis didn’t instantly declare duty for the assault, though the Associated Press information company reported insurgent army spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree saying an essential announcement can be made quickly.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a naval company offering safety alerts to ships, earlier reported a hearth on an unidentified vessel about 15 nautical miles (28km) off the Yemeni port of Mokha.
The coordinates correspond to the final recognized location of the Strinda, which is a part of the fleet of Bergen-based Mowinckels Rederi, in line with its web site. The firm didn’t instantly reply to an emailed request for remark.
CENTCOM stated the USS Mason had responded to the Strinda’s mayday name and supplied help.
The US and France have stopped in need of saying their ships have been focused however have stated that Houthi drones have headed in direction of their ships and been shot down in self-defence.
Washington has up to now declined to straight reply to the assaults, as has Israel, whose army continues to explain the ships as not having hyperlinks to their nation.
In November, the Houthis seized a automobile transport ship linked to Israel within the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels nonetheless maintain the vessel close to the port metropolis of Hodeidah. Separately, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire got here underneath assault by a suspected Iranian drone within the Indian Ocean.
A tentative ceasefire between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition combating on behalf of Yemen’s exiled authorities has been holding after years of combating that has created one of many world’s worst humanitarian crises.
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