Attackers seize an Israel-linked tanker off Yemen in a third such assault during Israel-Hamas war
Attackers seized and later let go a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen on Sunday, authorities said. Yemen's internationally recognized government blamed the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for the attack, which followed at least two other recent maritime attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, the company, the U.S. and British militaries and private intelligence firm Ambrey said.
Early Monday morning, Zodiac said the vessel carrying phosphoric acid and its crew of 22 sailors from Bulgaria, Georgia, India, the Philippines, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam were "unharmed."
"We would like to thank the coalition forces who responded quickly, protecting assets in the area and upholding international maritime law," the company said. It offered no details on how the attackers left the vessel, nor identified them.
The Pentagon told the AP that the vessel was "currently safe" without elaborating on what happened to the attackers. American forces aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason responded to the distress call from the Central Park, two U.S. defense officials said on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident.
Zodiac described the vessel as being owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., though other records directly linked Zodiac as the owner. London-based Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. British corporate records listed two men with the last name Ofer as a current and former director of Clumvez Shipping, including Daniel Guy Ofer, who is also a director at Zodiac Maritime.
Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have controlled the capital, Sanaa, since 2014, offered no comment on the seizure. However, Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is based out of nearby Aden, blamed the rebels for the attack in a statement carried by their state-run news agency.
"The Yemeni government has renewed its denunciation of the acts of maritime piracy carried out by the terrorist Houthi militias with the support of the Iranian regime, the most recent of which was the hijacking of the
