Join our crew and become one of the 110,048 members that receive our newsletter.

Panama-flagged crude oil tanker Pollux transits. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik

Panama-flagged crude oil tanker Pollux transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, February 3, 2024, in this still image taken from video. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik

Yemen’s Houthis Claim Missile Attack On Oil Tanker In Red Sea

Reuters
Total Views: 2632
February 17, 2024
Reuters

DUBAI, Feb 17 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility on Saturday for an attack on the oil tanker M/T Pollux, which U.S. officials said the previous day had been hit by a missile. 

“The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against a British oil ship (Pollux) in the Red Sea with a large number of appropriate naval missiles,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement, adding the strikes “were accurate and direct.”

Related Article: India-Bound Tanker Hit by Missile in Red Sea Attack

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said on Saturday that four anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Red Sea over several hours on Friday.

Centcom assessed that at least three of the missiles were launched towards the M/T Pollux, which it said was a Panamanian-flagged, Denmark-owned, Panamanian-registered vessel. There were no reported injuries, the statement said.

The U.S. State Department said on Friday that the vessel, which was carrying crude oil bound for India, was hit by a missile on its port side.

M/T Pollux embarked from Russia’s Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk on Jan. 24 and was due to discharge in Paradip, India, on Feb 28, according to LSEG data.

The Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile attacks against international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel wages war on Hamas.

(Reporting by Ahmed Elimam and Adam Makary; Editing by Stephen Coates and Frances Kerry)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Sign Up
Back to Main
polygon icon polygon icon

Why Join the gCaptain Club?

Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.

Sign Up
close

JOIN OUR CREW

Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 110,048 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.