Yemen's Houthis say attacked Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea
Even as hopes increased that a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could be imminent, attacks on shipping in the region continued.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed Wednesday they had fired ballistic missiles toward a Saudi oil tanker called the Wafa in the Red Sea. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a prerecorded statement that the vessel was targeted off the Saudi port city of Yanbu. He didn't provide evidence.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.
The attack is part of a recent escalation between the rebels and Saudi Arabia that threatened to reignite Yemen's civil war, which pitted the Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition supporting the country's government.
In July, the Houthis announced they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Red Sea for Saudi-linked shipping. That puts additional pressure on international shipping since the Red Sea became a key alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the war.
On Tuesday, an Indian-flagged commercial ship sank in the Red Sea off Yemen after being struck by an explosive-laden boat, Yemeni and Indian authorities said. Yemen's coast guard rescued the crew, which included 13 Indians and a Yemeni. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Earlier Tuesday, a cargo ship reported being "hit by an unknown projectile" about 37 kilometers (23 miles) northeast of the Omani port city of Al Khasab in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center.
Source: Associated Press
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/321667 |