Security

Houthis attack Norway-flagged tanker in Bab al-Mandeb strait

French frigate Languedoc shot down a drone that was threatening the tanker as it passed through Bab al-Mandeb strait en route to Suez.

US destroyer USS Mason crosses the Suez Canal near the Egyptian port city of Ismailia on March 12, 2011. USS Mason on December 11 responded to the M/T Strinda's mayday call in the Red Sea. [AFP]
US destroyer USS Mason crosses the Suez Canal near the Egyptian port city of Ismailia on March 12, 2011. USS Mason on December 11 responded to the M/T Strinda's mayday call in the Red Sea. [AFP]

By Al-Fassel |

The Iran-backed Houthis on Tuesday (December 12) claimed responsibility for an overnight missile strike on a Norwegian-flagged tanker as it passed through Bab al-Mandeb strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

The French frigate Languedoc shot down a drone that also had been threatening the tanker, the French defense ministry said Tuesday.

The Languedoc "which was patrolling in the area, intercepted and destroyed a drone directly threatening the Strinda," the ministry said in a statement, adding the warship moved to protect the vessel to prevent an "attempted hijacking."

The latest incident comes after the Languedoc, which operates in the Red Sea, on Saturday intercepted and destroyed two drones that were heading "directly towards" the vessel from the coast of Yemen.

The Norwegian-flagged tanker Strinda is seen here in an undated photo circulated on social media. The Houthis attacked the tanker on December 11.
The Norwegian-flagged tanker Strinda is seen here in an undated photo circulated on social media. The Houthis attacked the tanker on December 11.

The French foreign ministry said the drones were engaged in an "attack" on its vessel and had been downed in "legitimate defense," AFP reported.

The Saturday incident occurred amid "attacks and acts of piracy" committed by the Houthis in the Red Sea, which represented a "worrying increase of assaults on the freedom of navigation in that zone," the ministry said Monday.

The Monday night attack on the Strinda occurred at around midnight local time, the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The motor tanker (M/T) "was attacked by what is assessed to have been an Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen while passing through the Bab al-Mandeb," CENTCOM said.

"The Strinda reported damage causing a fire on-board, but no casualties at this time," the statement said.

"There were no US ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the USS Mason responded to the M/T Strinda's mayday call and is currently rendering assistance," it added.

The Ambrey and Dryad Global private intelligence firms confirmed the attack happened near Bab al-Mandeb, the Washington Post reported.

Houthis' escalation

The strike caused a fire aboard the Strinda, Norwegian shipowner J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi said, adding that the crew, all Indian nationals, were able to extinguish it, and no one was hurt.

According to the Marine Traffic website, the oil/chemical tanker was en route to the Suez canal from Tanjung Langsat port in Johor, Malaysia. Its reported destination was on Tuesday listed as "ARMS GUARDS ONBD."

The attack took place about 60 nautical miles (111km) north of Bab al-Mandab, Reuters reported, with a US official saying the Strinda was able to move under its own power in the hours after the attack.

The Houthis claimed the tanker was carrying oil bound for Israel, but the vessel's owner said this was not the case, AFP reported.

The shipowner said the vessel was neither headed toward Israel nor carrying oil but that it was en route to Italy from Malaysia with "a cargo of biofuel feedstock" and was now "proceeding to a safe port."

The latest attack came after the Houthis on Saturday threatened, in a statement posted on social media, to attack any vessels heading to Israeli ports, regardless of which flag they sail under or the nationality of their owners or operators.

The Houthis have launched a series of drones and missiles toward Israel in recent weeks from Yemen, and seized a cargo vessel last month.

A US guided missile destroyer in the Red Sea shot down multiple drones on December 3 while assisting three commercial ships that were targeted by attacks from Yemen, the US military said.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on two of the ships.

Preventing wider conflict

As the Houthis escalate their threats and attacks on international shipping, the United States is spearheading an effort to strengthen and expand the multinational Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

CMF, which on November 20 welcomed Sri Lanka as its 39th member, is the world's largest maritime security partnership. Its Combined Task Force 153 is focused on patrolling the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The United States is "in talks with other countries" about involving the ships from partner nations in ensuring safe passage in the Red Sea, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during a December 4 briefing.

The Houthis are "the ones with their finger on the trigger," he said. "But that gun -- the weapons here are being supplied by Iran. And Iran, we believe, is the ultimate party responsible for this."

He described the attacks on global shipping as "an issue for the entire world, for every country that relies upon maritime commerce to sustain their economy."

"So, we will take the time to do the appropriate consultation, build a response that involves as much buy-in from as many countries as possible," he said.

The United States is "encouraging other like-minded nations to join this coalition," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said December 7.

"Our focus at this time is ensuring that there are sufficient military assets in place to deter these Houthi threats to maritime trade in the Red Sea and in the surrounding waters to the global economy writ large," Kirby said.

"This is an international problem, and it demands an international solution."

Speaking hours before the attack on the Strinda, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Monday stressed the importance of preventing a wider conflict amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

With regard to a ramped up international coalition in the Red Sea, "we continue to take this very seriously and we continue to consult with allies and partners around the world about a maritime task force," Ryder said.

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702795279 Thanks to the Houthi men for the great stance they are taking to help our brothers in Gaza.