Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Thursday it had carried out a military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers, claiming the vessels had violated a naval blockade the group announced earlier this week.
In a statement, the Houthis identified the tankers as ENCELIA and LAYLIA, saying they were targeted because they continued operating despite the blockade.
The group did not provide details on the location of the incident, the type of attack or the extent of any damage.
The Saudi Arabian state news agency SPA, citing an official source at the General Transport Authority, said an attack caused a fire on the bow of the tanker Encelia but all crew members were safe. SPA did not say who had targeted the vessel.
Authorities have secured the vessel and its crew and taken measures to protect the marine environment, describing the attack as a violation of international law, SPA reported, citing the source.
The reported attack comes days after the Houthis declared they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, expanding threats to maritime traffic beyond the Red Sea amid heightened regional tensions.
The group announced the blockade on Monday, saying it would target vessels linked to Saudi Arabia. The move followed an escalation in hostilities across the Middle East, including continued U.S. military strikes on Iran and growing threats by Iran-backed groups in the region.
Saudi Arabia has condemned the Houthi announcement, with the Saudi-led coalition warning it would respond "firmly" to any attacks on shipping.
The latest Houthi claim raises concerns over the security of commercial shipping routes that are critical to global energy markets.
Any sustained disruption to oil tanker traffic could affect supplies and add further pressure to energy prices, which have already been volatile amid the widening regional conflict.
Five tankers changed course in the Red Sea on Wednesday, with two signalling the Suez Canal as their new destination after the Houthis warned ships to avoid Saudi ports, ship-tracking data showed.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted commercial and military vessels in regional waters since the outbreak of the Gaza war, saying their operations are aimed at countries they accuse of supporting Israel and its allies.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrai...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the ...
Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 p...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 people have been evacuated and six have died, the country’s search and rescue agency said on Sunday.
China will lead the creation of an open source platform among BRICS members to promote cooperation on large language models, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.
Swedes vote in an election on Sunday (13 September) that could see the far-right enter government for the first time if the country's right-wing parties can form a majority.
Philippine rescuers recovered 41 more charred remains from a ferry fire on Saturday (12 September), taking the death toll to 76, while 13 people remained unaccounted for as forensic teams worked to identify the victims.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment