Rescue mission underway for oil ship off Yemen: CENTCOM

This picture released on August 29, 2024, by Yemen's Huthi Ansarullah Media Centre, shows fireballs and smoke errupting aboard what they say is the Greek-owned oil tanker Sounion. Yemeni rebels announced on August 29 that they had boarded the oil tanker 'Sounion' earlier this week, which they had previously attacked in the Red Sea, and rigged it with explosives and detonated them, causing multiple fires on board. (Photo by ANSARULLAH MEDIA CENTRE / AFP) 

(AFP) - A rescue mission was underway Monday for an oil tanker still ablaze after being attacked by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen last month, according to US Central Command.

The Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion was hit by the Huthis off the coast of Hodeida on August 21 while carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude oil.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said "salvage efforts are underway" in the southern Red Sea for the disabled vessel, "which is still on fire and threatens the possibility of a major environmental disaster."

The Iran-backed rebels said they had booby-trapped and detonated charges on the ship.

CENTCOM condemned such Huthi attacks as "reckless" and promised to "continue to work with international partners and allies" to protect trade and mitigate environmental impacts in the region.

The European Union's Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, said earlier in the day that it would "provide protection to the tug boats, that will deal with the salvage operation and facilitate their efforts to prevent an environmental disaster," according to a post on X.

"Several fires continue to burn on the vessel's main deck," the mission added, noting that there were "no visible signs of an oil spill."

The Sounion's crew, made up of 23 Filipinos and two Russians, was rescued the day after the attack by a French frigate serving with Aspides.

The EU naval force was formed in February to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by the Huthi rebels, who have waged a campaign against international shipping that they say is intended to show solidarity with Palestinian group Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency, two other ships were struck in attacks off the coast of Yemen on Monday.

CENTCOM reported the two ships were both crude oil tankers, one flagged by Panama and the other flagged by Saudi Arabia, with the latter vessel carrying approximately two million barrels of crude oil.

© Agence France-Presse