Houthis target USS Mason after failed hijack attempt on Israel-linked ship. Swift response averts damage, highlighting regional maritime tensions.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
US Centcom said that two ballistic missiles were fired in the direction of the USS Mason in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday night.
The USS Mason, a guided missile destroyer which is part of the Eisenhower carrier strike group, was responding to a distress call from the Central Park, an Israeli-linked merchant ship that was attacked by Iran-backed Houthis.
On arrival, the Mason demanded the hijackers release the vessel. According to Centcom, five armed men who tried to escape the Central Park in a small boat were caught.
Afterwards, two ballistic missiles were fired from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen in the direction of the Mason, landing 10 nautical miles away from the ship, causing no damage.
The Central Park, owned by the Zodiac Maritime ship management company, is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. According to the company, the Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals.
The vessel is carrying phosphoric acid.
On Friday, an Iranian drone attacked an Israeli-owned commercial vessel in the Indian Ocean.
The attack on the Symi container ship came a week after Houthi rebels hijacked an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea. On Nov. 19, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the Houthis hijacked the Bahaman-flagged Galaxy Leader, calling it a “very grave incident of global consequence.”
“The security of the maritime domain is essential to regional stability,” said General Michael Eric Kurilla, USCENTCOM commander. “We will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international shipping lanes.”
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