US Navy foils seizure of tanker; Pinoys, others safe

DUBAI – Armed assailants seized and later let go of a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen on Sunday before being apprehended by the United States Navy, officials said.

Two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen then landed near a US warship aiding the tanker in the Gulf of Aden, raising the stakes amid a series of ship attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) meanwhile confirmed yesterday that two Filipino seafarers on board the tanker Central Park are safe and accounted for.

DMW officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac said they are closely coordinating with the vessel’s manning and shipping agencies in getting a full report on the incident as well as reaching out to the family and relatives of the Central Park’s Filipino crew.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government blamed the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for the attack, though the rebels in control of the capital, Sanaa, did not acknowledge either the seizure or the missile attack.

The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, according to US and British militaries and the private intelligence firm Ambrey.

The US military’s Central Command said in a statement early yesterday that its forces and allies, including the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason, responded to the seizure and demanded the armed assailants release the tanker.

“Subsequently, five armed individuals debarked the ship and attempted to flee via their small boat,” Central Command said. “The Mason pursued the attackers resulting in their eventual surrender.”

The Central Command did not identify the attackers, but said a missile launch from Houthi-controlled Yemen followed after that.

“The missiles landed in the Gulf of Aden approximately 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) from the ships,” the statement said. “The USS Mason… was concluding its response to the M/V Central Park distress call at the time of the missile launches. There was no damage or reported injuries from either vessel during this incident.”

Early yesterday, Zodiac said the vessel carrying phosphoric acid and its crew of 22 sailors from Bulgaria,