Crew ng inagaw na Israel-linked tanker sa Yemen, ligtas ayon sa isang US official
A picture taken during an organised tour by Yemen's Huthi rebels on November 22, 2023 shows the group's minister of information, Dhaifallah Al-Shami (4th L), inspecting the Galaxy Leader Cargo ship, seized by Huthi fighters two days earlier, whiled docked at a port on the Red Sea in Yemen's province of Hodeida with the Palestinian (L) and Yemeni flags in the background. The Bahamas-flagged, British-owned Galaxy Leader, operated by a Japanese firm but having links to an Israeli businessman, was headed from Turkey to India when it was seized and re-routed to Hodeida November 19, according to maritime security company Ambrey. The Huthis said the capture was in retaliation for Israel's war against Hamas, sparked by the October 7 attack by the Palestinian militants who killed 1,200 people and took around 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials. (Photo by AFP)
Isang tanker na may kaugnayan sa isang Israel-affiliated company ang inagaw sa Yemen ng mga armadong indibidwal, ayon sa isang US official, subali’t ligtas na ang crew nito.
Sinabi ng isang US defence official, “There are indications that an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals seized the M/V Central Park in the Gulf of Aden on Nov. 26.”
Ayon naman sa maritime security firm na Ambrey, “US naval forces are engaged in the situation” makaraan ang insidente na kinasasangkutan ng Central Park, na pag-aari at pinanatakbo ng isang UK-based, Israel-linked company.
Ilang oras ang makalipas, isa pang US defence official ang nagsabi na tumugon ang US at coalition forces sa emergency sa tanker, at ang crew ng M/V Central Park ay ligtas na.
Hindi naman agad malinaw kung ang crew ay lulan pa rin ng tanker, maging ang kinaroroonan ng barko.
Sinabi ng may-ari na Zodiac Maritime, na kabilang sa 22 crew ay Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian at mga Pilipino, gayundin ang isang Turkish captain ayon sa Ambrey.
Dagdag pa nito, una nang nagbanta ang Iran-backed Huthi rebels ng Yemen na aatakihin nila ang tanker kapag hindi ito nag-divert sa Hodeida port.
Ayon sa Ambrey, naharang ng US coalition warship ang komunikasyon at nagbabala sa Central Park na huwag pansinin ang mga mensahe.
Dagdag pa ng Ambrey, “The boarding took place offshore from the Yemeni port city of Aden, with another vessel in the area reporting ‘an approach by eight persons on two skiffs’ wearing military uniforms.”
Ang insidente ay nangyari matapos sabihin ng isang US defence official na isang Israeli-owned cargo ship ang napinsala ng hinihinalang Iranian drone attack sa Indian Ocean noong Biyernes, at isang linggo matapos agawin ng Huthis ang isang Israel-linked cargo vessel sa southern Red Sea.
Ang Huthis, na ibinibilang ang kanilang grupo na bahagi ng “axis of resistance” ng Iran-affiliated groups, ay naglunsad ng serye ng drone at missile strikes target ang Israel simula nang mangyari ang sorpresang pag-atake ng Hamas militants sa Israel noong Oktubre 7.
