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 Philippines yesterday said its coast guard would acquire 40 fast patrol craft from France, with plans to deploy some of them in disputed areas of the South China Sea. The deal is the “largest so far single purchase” in Manila’s ongoing effort to modernize its coast guard, with deliveries set to start in four years, Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan told a news conference. He declined to provide specifications for the vessels, which Manila said would cost 25.8 billion pesos (US$440 million), to be funded by development aid from the French government. He said some of the vessels would
Hundreds of thousands of Guyana citizens living at home and abroad would receive a payout of about US$478 each after the country announced it was distributing its “mind-boggling” oil wealth. The grant of 100,000 Guyanese dollars would be available to any citizen of the South American country aged 18 and older with a valid passport or identification card. Guyanese citizens who normally live abroad would be eligible, but must be in Guyana to collect the payment. The payout was originally planned as a 200,000 Guyanese dollar grant for each household in the country, but was reframed after concerns that some citizens, including
Airlines in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia and Singapore yesterday canceled flights to and from the Indonesian island of Bali, after a nearby volcano catapulted an ash tower into the sky. Australia’s Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia all grounded flights after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island spewed a 9km tower a day earlier. Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, India’s IndiGo and Singapore’s Scoot also listed flights as canceled. “Volcanic ash poses a significant threat to safe operations of the aircraft in the vicinity of volcanic clouds,” AirAsia said as it announced several cancelations. Multiple eruptions from the 1,703m twin-peaked volcano in
A plane bringing Israeli soccer supporters home from Amsterdam landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on Friday after a night of violence that Israeli and Dutch officials condemned as “anti-Semitic.” Dutch police said 62 arrests were made in connection with the violence, which erupted after a UEFA Europa League soccer tie between Amsterdam club Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Israeli flag carrier El Al said it was sending six planes to the Netherlands to bring the fans home, after the first flight carrying evacuees landed on Friday afternoon, the Israeli Airports Authority said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also ordered
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