Greek tanker under fire by Yemeni Houthis, crew assesses damage

Greek tanker Sounion, attacked multiple times on Wednesday in the Red Sea by Yemeni Houthi fighters, is drifting in the water, Reuters reported, citing a statement from Delta Tankers. The vessel crew is assessing the extent of the damage caused by the attackers.

The tanker, sailing under the Greek flag with a 25-member crew, was repeatedly fired upon by groups of militants moving in small boats. Three projectiles also hit it, the British maritime safety agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported. The incident occurred approximately 88 miles west of the Yemeni port of Al-Hudaydah.

The Greek Ministry of Transport reported that although the tanker was damaged, the Filipino-Russian crew of the Sounion was not injured.

The AP agency reminded that since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip in October last year, Iranian-backed Shia Houthis have attacked more than 70 ships with rockets and drones. They seized one ship and sank two, with four sailors losing their lives. The Houthis claim that by attacking merchant ships, they are supporting the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas (also backed by Iran) in its fight against Israel.

Supported by Iran, the Houthis are one of the sides in the nearly 10-year-long civil war in Yemen. They control the western part of the country, where half of its population lives.

Since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip in the fall of 2023, the Houthis have started firing at ships passing through the Red Sea, declaring that the attacks are acts of solidarity with Palestinian Hamas and that their target is Israel and its trade exchange.

The attacks have disrupted shipping on one of the world's most important maritime trade routes. In response, since the beginning of the year, the targets of the Houthis have been bombed by U.S. and British forces.