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The U.S. Navy intervened to cease the hijacking of a industrial cargo ship by pirates within the Gulf of Aden close to Somalia on Sunday, based on American protection officers.
Sailors from the usS. Mason, a Navy destroyer, captured the attackers who had boarded the Central Park, a chemical tanker, a senior protection official mentioned.
Zodiac Maritime, the London-based firm that manages the vessel, mentioned that the ship and crew at the moment are protected and unhurt, however offered few particulars. The ship’s crew had issued a misery name on Sunday reporting they had been underneath assault by pirates, as they handed via the Gulf of Aden, about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, based on Zodiac Maritime.
U.S. officers cautioned a lot isn’t recognized concerning the incident, together with whether or not Iran was concerned or if it was an assault unrelated to the regional tensions which have intensified since Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel. Houthi rebels, who’re backed by Iran within the battle in Yemen, attacked a number of industrial vessels final week within the Crimson Sea — a physique of water subsequent to the Gulf of Aden — together with the Central Park.
Officers mentioned it isn’t clear if the attackers had been the identical group that tried to take the ship earlier. Whereas the Houthi rebels struck within the Crimson Sea, the Gulf of Aden the place the Central Park was attacked is much from their space of operations. One U.S. official and one former Pentagon official mentioned Iranian involvement within the operation is being investigated.
American protection officers mentioned the U.S. Navy and different coalition ships responded to the misery name Sunday. The senior protection official mentioned one other piracy try had been made towards the ship in latest days off the coast of Yemen within the Crimson Sea.
The attackers boarded the ship, however weren’t capable of take the crew, who had locked themselves in a protected room.
The Navy rescue of the Central Park was earlier reported by Jennifer Griffin, a reporter with Fox Information.
Zodiac Maritime is managed by Eyal Ofer, an Israeli-born delivery magnate.
There are 22 crew members aboard the Central Park. The crew consists of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian, Filipino nationals and the ship has a Turkish captain, the corporate mentioned.
Iran has various degree of management over all kinds of proxy teams within the area, together with the Houthis in Yemen. The previous Pentagon official mentioned even earlier than the assault on the Central Park, the Pentagon and Biden administration officers had been discussing what extra must be executed to discourage Iran from extra assaults on delivery or commerce.
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