Saudi Coalition Thwarts Attack on Tanker off Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen said it had foiled an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Yemen.

The incident occurred some 90 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Nishtun port on March 3, 2020, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited the coalition’s spokesperson Turki Al-Malki as saying.

As informed, the unidentified tanker was en route to the Port of Aden when it was targeted by four boats. The attackers reportedly used a new model — the unmanned, remotely-controlled explosive boat.

No further details on the attackers or the ship have been released.

Al-Malki described the incident as a threat to international security and sea routes, stressing that the Arab coalition would “continue to implement all necessary measures and procedures to neutralize and eliminate any naval threats in the coalition’s area of operations.”

The Bab al-Mandeb strait is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. Amid heightened tensions in the region, recently there has been a number of attacks on vessels transiting the route.

World Maritime News Staff