On Sunday, November 26, the U.S. Navy freed a tanker that had been seized by armed men in the Gulf of Aden in the Middle East.
This was reported by Reuters.
It is noted that the tanker carrying phosphoric acid was identified by the ship’s company as Central Park. Law enforcement did not identify the attackers.
One of the US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the USS Mason warship responded to the distress call and the tanker is now free.
The five armed men tried to escape in a fast boat, but were chased by a US warship and eventually surrendered.
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since a brutal war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas began on October 7. This happened after the seizure of an Israeli-affiliated cargo ship by Yemeni Houthis. Then the group promised to hijack Israeli ships.
Central Park is a small chemical tanker operated by Zodiac Maritime, an international company headquartered in London. It belongs to the Israeli family of Ofer. According to LSEG, the Liberian-flagged vessel was built in 2015 and is owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc.
Zodiac Maritime said in a statement that the Central Park was carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid, which is mainly used for fertilizers.
“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew members on board. The Turkish-owned vessel has a multinational crew consisting of crews from Russia, Vietnam, Bulgaria, India, Georgia and the Philippines,” the statement added.
- The day before, the attackers seized a tanker belonging to an Israeli businessman off the coast of Yemen. None of the groups claimed responsibility for the attack.
