CAIRO, July 23 — Yemen’s Houthi militia attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in a military operation, the group said today, while Saudi authorities later confirmed that one of the vessels caught fire following an attack in the Red Sea.
The Saudi state news agency (SPA), citing an official from the General Transport Authority, said the attack caused a fire at the bow of the tanker Encelia, but all crew members were safe. SPA did not identify those responsible for the attack.
According to SPA, authorities have secured the vessel and its crew, while taking measures to protect the marine environment. The incident was described as a violation of international law.
In a statement, the Houthis said they had attacked two tankers, Encelia and Layla, alleging the vessels had violated a naval blockade imposed by the Iran-aligned group on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
The Houthis said the vessels were targeted with ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones.
A maritime security source said earlier today that Encelia transmitted a distress call via VHF radio, reporting it had been struck by a missile while operating at the outer port limits of Jizan, Saudi Arabia, in the Red Sea, and was on fire.
British maritime risk management company Vanguard also reported that the Saudi-flagged Encelia was struck by an unidentified projectile on its starboard side about 130km southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, at 8 pm local time.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also reported an incident in the same area, saying the master of a tanker had reported being struck by an unidentified projectile that caused a fire on board, which the crew were attempting to extinguish.
UKMTO said no casualties or environmental damage had been reported.
It was not immediately clear whether the UKMTO report referred to Encelia, although the location and details matched Vanguard’s report.
Vanguard said the Houthis had claimed responsibility for the attack and had also reported striking a second vessel, Layla, although that claim remains unverified.
In the same statement, the Houthis also claimed they had forced around 10 ships to turn back. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
Ship-tracking data showed that five tankers changed course in the Red Sea yesterday, with two signalling the Suez Canal as their new destination after the Houthis warned vessels to avoid Saudi ports.
