A Cayman Islands-flagged tanker has been attacked in a crucial shipping route off Yemen, a US military official says.
The attack targeting the Swan Atlantic, a chemical and oil products carrier, is the latest in a series of assaults on vessels in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The attacks have been claimed by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who say they are targeting vessels linked to Israel in support of Palestinian terror groups.
The US official said the vessel was attacked by multiple projectiles at about 9 a.m. local time.
The USS Carney, a US warship which provides security to ships in the area, responded to the incident, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the attack.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors Mideast shipping lanes, also reported an incident in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, off Yemen’s port of Mocha, and warned vessels in the area to exercise caution.
It reported “a possible explosion in the water” about 2 nautical miles from the vessel.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the assault.
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