A Greek-flagged oil tanker travelling through the Red Sea came under renewed attack on Wednesday, with the vessel “out of control” and drifting in a burning state after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi militants.
The Sounion vessel was attacked by more than a dozen men in two small boats who fired several shots at it while it was about 77 nautical miles (143 kilometres) west of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday morning, Greece’s shipping ministry and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
There was a brief exchange of gunfire, the UKMTO said. Later it also said the ship reported another attack, which caused a fire and resulted in a loss of engine power and manoeuvring ability.
There were no reports of injuries among the crew of 23 Filipinos and two Russians.
Greece’s Maritime Affairs Minister Christos Stylianides condemned what he called “a flagrant violation of international law and a serious threat to the safety of international navigation.” Greece said the ship could have been hit by either missiles or drones.
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. In response, Israel launched an active military offensive on the Gaza Strip. A number of groups in the Middle East have stepped up attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria, expressing their support for the Palestinians in the besieged enclave. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, for their part, began shelling ships in the Red Sea. Since then they have shelled more than 80 vessels. The US and the UK have responded by regularly striking Houthi targets in Yemen.
