KUALA LUMPUR – A Norwegian-flagged cargo ship reportedly heading to Italy from Malaysia came under attack in the Red Sea, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near Yemen yesterday.
Carrying a cargo of palm oil, the vessel, named Strinda, was hit by a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the Associated Press reported.
The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, had previously focused their attacks on ships near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime choke point.
However, the recent assault on the Strinda indicates a widening of their campaign to target vessels not clearly linked to Israel, raising concerns for cargo and energy shipments passing through the Suez Canal.
This escalation adds another layer to the international impact of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Brig Gen Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houthi military, claimed in a video statement that the rebels fired on the Strinda after the vessel “rejected all warning calls.”
The US military’s Central Command confirmed that an anti-ship cruise missile, launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen, struck the tanker.
While there were no US ships in the vicinity at the time, the USS Mason, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, responded to the incident and is providing assistance.
France’s frigate Languedoc reportedly shot down a drone threatening the Strinda and positioned itself to protect the vessel from being hijacked during the attack, according to France’s Armies Ministry.
Private intelligence firms Ambrey and Dryad Global, along with Geir Belsnes, the chief executive of the Strinda’s operator, J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, confirmed the attack.
However, all crew members are reported to be unhurt and safe, and the vessel is en route to a safe port at press time.
The Strinda, originating from Malaysia and bound for the Suez Canal and Italy with a cargo of palm oil, became the target of allegations from Houthi spokesman Saree, who claimed that the ship was heading for Israel.
The Houthi rebels have escalated attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and launched drones and missiles targeting Israel. – December 13, 2023