EUNAVFOR informed that the oil tanker that was attacked on March 3, off Hodeidah, Yemen, is the Merchant Tanker (MT) “Abqaiq”, a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia flagged vessel.
Combined Maritime Forces and EUNAVFOR confirmed that the incident is related to the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
EUNAVFOR confirms that the vessel continued underway and that the crew are safe and unharmed.
As the UKMTO had informed, on March 3 a Merchant Vessel reported an explosion in the Southern Red Sea. Reportedly, the attack on the vessel was made by the Houthis to avenge a Saudi aerial assault on Hodeidah.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
The tanker was sailing in international waters off Hodeidah, the Saudi coalition spokesman, Col. Turki al-Malki said. Mr. al-Malki did not reveal the damages that the ship sustained, but characterized the attack as a “serious threat to the maritime navigation and international trade” in the region.
After the attack, CMF and EU NAVFOR have maritime and aviation assets in the region and will continue to maintain presence in the area. EUNAVFOR noted:
The requirement for vigilance when transiting this area, together with the timely reporting of all suspicious incidents, remains crucial.
