Yemen’s Houthi rebels have shared a video showing an explosion and fire on a vessel in the Red Sea, after an attack on a Greek-flagged oil tanker earlier in the week.
The Sounion tanker was abandoned by its crew on Thursday and reportedly anchored in place, but now appears to be adrift, authorities said.
Fires broke out on Friday, according to the Associated Press news agency, but it is not immediately clear what happened on the vessel beforehand.
Yemen‘s Houthis released their video later on Friday, but claimed it was filmed the day before.
Sky News has not independently verified the material.
The Sounion tanker pictured heading into the Finnart Ocean Terminal in Scotland in 2017. Pic: AP
The rebels are suspected to have returned and attacked at least one other vessel that later sank as part of their months-long campaign against shipping in the Red Sea. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip has disrupted a trade route that typically sees $1trn in goods pass through it annually.
The Sounion had been staffed by a crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel. They were rescued by a French military vessel and taken to nearby Djibouti, the EU’s Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea said on Thursday.
The Greek shipping ministry said the vessel had been sailing from Iraq to Agioi Theodoroi in Greece.
The vessel had about 136,000 tonnes of crude oil aboard and represents a “navigational and environmental hazard”, the mission warned.
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Houthi rebels have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They have seized one vessel and sunk two, while other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.
The rebels maintain they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK, to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
