In a recent development, two oil tankers under the flags of Norway and India were attacked by drones in the Red Sea. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed this incident on their social media platform.
According to the authorities, on December 23rd, two anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched by Houthi rebels from areas under their control in Yemen, targeting international maritime routes in the southern part of the Red Sea. It was emphasized that no vessels were harmed during the attack.
The US military ship, LABOON (DDG 58), was patrolling the southern part of the Red Sea as part of the “Operation Prosperity Guardian” (OPG) and successfully intercepted four unmanned aerial vehicles that were heading towards the USS LABOON aircraft carrier from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, as stated by CENTCOM.
Furthermore, it was reported that around 8:00 PM, the US Navy Central Command received a distress call from two ships in the southern part of the Red Sea, stating that they had come under attack. The vessel named BLAAMANEN, operating as a chemical tanker or an oil tanker under the Norwegian flag, reported sighting a Houthi combat drone. The second ship, M/V SAIBABA, a crude oil tanker under the Indian flag and owned by Gabon, reported being attacked by a drone. However, no information regarding any casualties has been provided.
USS LABOON promptly responded to the distress signals sent by the ships after the attacks, as mentioned by the US Central Command.
Prior to this incident, the Pentagon had stated that the unmanned aerial vehicle, which attacked a ship off the coast of India on December 23rd, was launched from Iran.
Earlier, the Houthi rebels had announced their intention to target commercial vessels in the Red Sea every 12 hours.
