SANAA, Yemen: A Houthi tanker attack targeted the Saudi oil carrier NCC Ghazal in the Red Sea on July 28 as the group sought to enforce its blockade of Saudi-linked shipping.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group fired several ballistic missiles after the vessel ignored warnings and violated its navigation ban. He said the attack forced the tanker to change course.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) separately recorded an explosion near a tanker travelling through the southern Red Sea.
The vessel and its crew remained safe, while the incident caused no reported environmental damage. However, Reuters could not confirm whether the UKMTO report involved the NCC Ghazal, according to a syndicated account of the tanker incident.
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The Houthis announced their maritime blockade on July 20. They said it would target vessels using Saudi ports until Riyadh ended what the group calls its siege of Yemen. Saudi Arabia denies imposing such a siege.
The group previously claimed attacks on the Saudi oil tankers Encelia and Layla. Saudi authorities confirmed that a projectile struck the Encelia but said all crew members survived.
Reuters could not independently confirm the reported attack on the Layla. China has since held direct talks with the Houthis to secure safe passage for Chinese tankers, Reuters reported.
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At least four China-bound tankers have left Saudi ports and passed through Bab al-Mandeb since the blockade began.
Meanwhile, two other supertankers changed course because of security concerns. The New Champion had planned to load crude at Yanbu, while the New Prime was already carrying oil.
