Ships sail near the coast of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in April. [Reuters]
Ships sail near the coast of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in April. [Reuters]

An oil tanker was attacked in the Red Sea southwest of Saudi Arabia on Thursday (local time), the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following armed conflict between the United States and Iran. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who had declared a maritime blockade of Saudi waters, claimed responsibility for the strike.

According to Reuters, UKMTO received a report of an incident approximately 70 nautical miles (about 130 kilometers) southwest of Al-Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia. UKMTO said no casualties or environmental damage had been reported as of yet.

"The master of the tanker reported being struck by an unknown projectile," UKMTO said, adding that the impact caused a fire onboard that crew members were working to extinguish.

Shortly after those reports emerged, the Houthis said they had carried out a military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers. The group identified the vessels as the Encela and the Laylia, saying they had been targeted for violating the maritime blockade it had declared.

Saudi authorities had not yet commented on the attack.

If the Houthis' claim is confirmed, it would mark the first time the group has struck a vessel since declaring the maritime blockade.

The Houthis announced the blockade against Saudi Arabia on Monday, citing frustration over Saudi restrictions on Houthi-controlled ports and airports and last week's strike on Sanaa airport.


yckim6452@heraldcorp.com