Dec 12, 2023
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – A fire broke out on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea after it had been hit by at least one missile launched from the territory controlled by Yemen’s rebel Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, The War Zone news portal reported Monday, citing US officials.
Norwegian-owned chemical tanker Strinda, owned by Bergen-based shipping company A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, has been attacked by a missile coming from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen and hit 60 miles north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea, the report cited US officials, who spoke condition of anonymity. The crew of the tanker was battling the fire, one of the officials said.
The United States Navy’s USS Mason, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, has responded to an emergency call and was in sight of the tanker, the report said.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the tanker was attacked by what is believed to be an anti-ship cruise missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen, but there were no casualties.
“At around 4 p.m. EST [21:00 GMT] on December 11, the Motor Tanker STRINDA was attacked by what is assessed to have been an Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) launched from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen while passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb. The STRINDA reported damage causing a fire on-board, but no casualties at this time,” CENTCOM said.
The command said there were no US ships in the area of the incident at the time of the attack, adding that USS Mason responded to the tanker’s mayday call and was assisting the vessel.
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