A burning oil tanker that was attacked by Yemen’s Houthi movement has been towed to a safe area in the Red Sea without any spill, an EU naval mission says.
The Greek-owned and flagged MV Sounion, carrying about a million barrels of crude, was abandoned by its crew after being hit by missiles on 21 August. Houthi fighters later detonated explosives on board, sparking several fires.
A photo released on Monday night showed three vessels belonging to what the EU mission described as “private stakeholders” carrying out the salvage operation, protected by a warship.
The Sounion’s destination was not given, but Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered to help the salvagers offload its oil.
“The completion of this phase of the salvage operation is the result of a comprehensive approach and close co-operation between all stakeholders committed to prevent an environmental disaster affecting the whole region,” the EU’s Operation Aspides said on X.
A potential spill from the Sounion could be almost four times larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, which saw 2,100km (1,300 miles) of coastline contaminated after a tanker ran aground off Alaska, according to the US.
The Iran-backed Houthis said at the end of August that they had agreed to allow the Sounion to be towed away from Yemen after being contacted by “several international parties”.
They also stressed that the attack on the tanker showed their “seriousness in targeting any ship that violates the Yemeni embargo”.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, sinking two vessels, seizing another and causing the deaths of at least four crew members.
They say they are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They have claimed - often falsely - that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.
They have not been deterred by the deployment of Western warships to protect merchant vessels, nor by US and British air strikes on territory they control in north-western Yemen.
Israel also bombed Yemen in retaliation for a deadly drone strike on Tel Aviv, and it has vowed to make the Houthis pay a “heavy price” for a missile attack on Sunday.
In a separate development on Monday, the Houthis said they had shot down a US-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen’s Dhamar province and released videos which they said showed the charred wreckage on the ground. The US military said it was aware of the claim.
Latest Stories
-
Why is EC afraid of a forensic audit? – Nyaho -Tamakloe asks
11 mins -
Ghanaian girl’s dream ‘baecation’ to Singapore ends with missing kidney
17 mins -
Public vs. Private healthcare in Ghana: Analysing references and impact on health delivery
39 mins -
ITF Junior: 2 Ghanaian wheelchair tennis players set to compete in tournament
41 mins -
Sissala East: Classroom shed collapses on pupils at Sumborun, causing head injury
46 mins -
Mahama promises to reinstate automatic recruitment of nurses
51 mins -
Bernard Kwakye: A closer look at Ghana’s education initiatives: Opportunities and concerns
52 mins -
University administrators resume strike, hospitals and other essential service to be impacted
53 mins -
First Lady mouns Herman Chinery-Hesse; signs book of condolence
58 mins -
ECG management must be dismissed; PURC should assume its regulatory function – ACEP
1 hour -
Galamsey: Ghana is now a laughing stock in the eyes of the international community – GVMA
1 hour -
Technology has complicated the landscape of copyright – Agyapa Mercer
2 hours -
Bolt Holdings OU ordered to pay GH₵1.9m after passenger finds his photo as driver in ride request
2 hours -
Full Text: NPP’s response to NDC’s call for independent audit of voter’s register
3 hours -
I’ll demonstrate against gov’t if it bans small-scale mining – Dennis Miracles Aboagye
3 hours