Israel-bound ship on the way to sink in Houthi attack

Israel-bound ship on the way to sink in Houthi attack

A spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces said the country's naval units carried out separate attacks on two ships linked to Israel as part of a naval operation in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

Houthi spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sari said in a televised speech broadcast live from Yemen's capital Sanaa on Thursday evening that Yemeni forces targeted the Sounion oil tanker as it sailed into the Red Sea. He added that the ship was properly hit and was now in danger of sinking.

Sari pointed out that the vessel belonging to the SoUnion company belongs to Israel. It violated the decision to ban access to Israeli ports.

The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea, "Aspides", confirmed on Thursday that its crew had been evacuated after the attack on a Greek-flagged oil tanker.

Sanion was targeted with multiple missiles from Yemen's strategic western port city of Hudaydah on Wednesday. The Athens-based Delta tanker was the third vessel attacked in the Red Sea this month. 

Delta Tankers said in a statement that the attack caused the vessel to catch fire, but was extinguished by the crew.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said the engine lost power as a result of the attack. On Thursday, the UKMTO said, the ship anchored and all its crew evacuated.

A maritime security source told Reuters the ship was now anchored between Yemen and Eritrea.

BD Daily/Nazmul