Iran-backed rebels fire missiles at US warship after gunmen storm Israeli tanker

27 November 2023 , 09:50

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The tanker Central Park was hijacked (Image: AP)

Rebels backed by Iran fired missiles at a US warship after an Israeli-linked ship was briefly seized by armed assailants, officials have said.

Two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen landed near the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason in the Gulf of Aden yesterday. The internationally recognised government of Yemen blamed the Houthis for the attack, but the rebel group did not respond to the claims.

The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, the company, the US and British militaries and private intelligence firm Ambrey said. The USS Mason responded to the seizure and demanded the armed attackers release the tanker.

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Houthi rebels did not claim responsibility for the attack (Getty Images)

"Subsequently, five armed individuals debarked the ship and attempted to flee via their small boat," Central Command said. "The Mason pursued the attackers resulting in their eventual surrender." Central Command did not identify the assailants, but said a missile attack followed shortly after.

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"The missiles landed in the Gulf of Aden approximately 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometres) from the ships," the statement said. "The USS Mason - was concluding its response to the M/V Central Park distress call at the time of the missile launches. There was no damage or reported injuries from either vessel during this incident."

While Houthi rebels have not claimed responsibility for the events, the attack occurred in an area where Somali pirates do not generally operate. It did, however, occur in a part of the Gulf of Aden that is in theory under the control of that government's forces.

Zodiac said the vessel carrying phosphoric acid and its crew of 22 sailors from Bulgaria, Georgia, India, the Philippines, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam were unharmed. "We would like to thank the coalition forces who responded quickly, protecting assets in the area and upholding international maritime law," the company said.

Zodiac described the vessel as being owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., though other records directly linked Zodiac as the owner. London-based Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. British corporate records listed two men with the last name Ofer as a current and former director of Clumvez Shipping, including Daniel Guy Ofer, who is also a director at Zodiac Maritime.

Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is based out of nearby Aden, blamed the rebels for the seizure in a statement carried by their state-run news agency.

"The Yemeni government has renewed its denunciation of the acts of maritime piracy carried out by the terrorist Houthi militias with the support of the Iranian regime, the most recent of which was the hijacking of the Central Park," the statement read.

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Benjamin Lynch