New Delhi, December 24 – Two oil tankers, flying the flags of Norway and India, were attacked by drones in the Red Sea, according to the United States Navy’s central command on their social media platform, X. The incident occurred yesterday evening at around 20:00 Moscow time.
The Norwegian-flagged vessel, BLAAMANEN, which operates as a tanker for transporting chemicals and oil, reported a drone strike by Houthi rebels, with no reports of casualties or damage. The second vessel, SAIBABA, owned by Gabon and serving as a crude oil tanker under the Indian flag, reported a collision with a drone, with no reports of casualties.
The American destroyer, “Laboon,” responded to distress signals from the affected vessels. “These attacks mark the 14th and 15th instances of Houthi militants targeting commercial ships since October 17,” added the command.
Yesterday, a drone strike damaged the Chem Pluto tanker, which was en route from Saudi Arabia to India and was attacked 200 nautical miles off the coast of India. There were no casualties. In mid-November, the Houthi movement, Ansar Allah, which controls the north of Yemen, warned of its intention to attack any ships associated with Israel in the Red Sea and urged other countries to withdraw their crews from them. As a result, some shipping companies decided to suspend shipments through the Suez Canal, and energy companies BP and Equinor ceased tanker transport of petroleum products in the Red Sea.
