Somali Pirates Suspected in Attempted Tanker Seizure near Yemen: Analysis

The United States has stated that the individuals who attempted to seize an Israel-linked cargo ship over the weekend were likely Somali pirates rather than Houthi fighters from Yemen. Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder mentioned on Monday that while a Houthi connection has not been completely ruled out, preliminary indications suggest that the attackers are Somali. The incident, which involved armed men boarding the tanker Central Park, was prevented by the intervention of U.S. Navy forces. The attackers were captured once the USS Mason arrived at the scene.

This attempted hijacking comes at a time when Yemen’s Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been carrying out a series of raids on ships in the region. Shortly after the attack, the U.S. reported that ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled territory in the direction of their ships. The Houthis have gained control over significant parts of northern Yemen, becoming a prominent force in the region following years of conflict with the Yemeni government and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Although the fighting in Yemen has become less intense in the past year, the Houthis have continued to launch attacks on Israel. While their missile and drone attacks towards Israel have mostly failed, the group has seized commercial ships in the Red Sea, claiming that these vessels have ties to Israel. After a recent seizure, the U.S. has been considering redesignating the Houthis as a “terrorist” organization.

The Pentagon has stated that the ballistic missiles fired during the weekend incident were launched in the general direction of U.S. ships but landed in the ocean around 19km (10 nautical miles) away from the vessels, causing no injuries. Yemen’s government in Aden has blamed the Houthis for the attack, but the group has not acknowledged either the missile launch or the attempted seizure of the vessel. The Central Park is managed by Zodiac Maritime Ltd, an international ship management firm based in London and owned by Israel’s Ofer family.

Source: Aljazeera news: US says Somali pirates likely behind attempted tanker seizure near Yemen