A chemical tanker linked to an Israeli billionaire was freed by a US warship after attackers boarded the vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday.
The Liberian-flagged Central Park “was involved in a suspected piracy incident” about 87km off Somalia, according to Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group.
The company and the US military said the crew were safe and not harmed.
Photo: AP
The USS Mason, a destroyer, had responded to a distress call from the Central Park, which said it was under attack from an unknown entity, US Central Command said yesterday morning.
“Five armed individuals debarked the ship and attempted to flee via their small boat,” Centcom said on X. “The Mason pursued the attackers resulting in their eventual surrender.”
Later, at about 2:40am Dubai time yesterday, two missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Mason and the Central Park. They landed about 16km from the ships and there was no damage to either vessel, Centcom said.
The incident underscores the rise in tensions in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last month. The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group based in Yemen, support Hamas and have fired missiles toward Israel in recent weeks. They have also threatened Israeli ships and, on Nov. 19, seized a vehicle carrier called the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea. It has yet to be released.
The group had warned the Central Park that it would attack if it did not change course to the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
“Maritime domain security is essential to regional stability,” Centcom commander General Michael Erik Kurilla said. “We will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international shipping lanes.”
Zodiac said the Central Park had a 22-member crew from six countries, under the command of a Turkish captain. The vessel is carrying phosphoric acid, it said.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations said it was “aware that a vessel was boarded by unauthorized persons” and advised ships in the vicinity to exercise caution.
The Houthis’ territories are well positioned to target vessels transiting from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and on to Egypt’s Suez Canal, which links the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
The Philippine Department of Justice yesterday labeled Vice President Sara Duterte the “mastermind” of a plot to assassinate the nation’s president, giving her five days to respond to a subpoena. Duterte is being asked to explain herself in the wake of a blistering weekend press conference where she said she had instructed that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr be killed should an alleged plot to kill her succeed. “The government is taking action to protect our duly elected president,” Philippine Undersecretary of Justice Jesse Andres said at yesterday’s press briefing. “The premeditated plot to assassinate the president as declared by the self-confessed mastermind
Texas’ education board on Friday voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools, joining other Republican-led US states that pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by elected Republicans, is optional for schools to adopt, but they would receive additional funding if they do so. The materials could appear in classrooms as early as next school year. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has voiced support for the lesson plans, which were provided by the state’s education agency that oversees the more than
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CONSPIRACIES: Kano suspended polio immunization in 2003 and 2004 following claims that polio vaccine was laced with substances that could render girls infertile Zuwaira Muhammad sat beside her emaciated 10-month-old twins on a clinic bed in northern Nigeria, caring for them as they battled malnutrition and malaria. She would have her babies vaccinated if they regain their strength, but for many in Kano — a hotbed of anti-vaccine sentiment — the choice is not an obvious one. The infants have been admitted to the 75-bed clinic in the Unguwa Uku neighbourhood, one of only two in the city of 4.5 million run by French aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Kano has the highest malaria burden in Nigeria, but the city has long
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