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Houthi rebels from Yemen have blown up sections of a hijacked oil tanker, prompting fears of a major oil spill and environmental disaster in the Red Sea.
Video footage shows an armed and masked Houthi rebel walking alone on the oil tanker Sounion, which was first attacked on Aug 22 with its crew forced to flee. The Houthi rebel plants what appears to be explosive devices on the Greek-flagged vessel.
The next scene in the video, which appears to have been shot by the Houthis using a drone camera, shows at least five explosions at the same time along the ship.
Rebels are heard shouting “Allahu Akbar” in the background.
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The European Union’s military mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, said that multiple fires had been detected on the main deck of the tanker.
“Operating assets in the area have confirmed that there’s no oil spill, and the ship is still anchored and not drifting,” the statement said.
But, Aspides stressed that the Red Sea was a unique marine ecosystem that was under threat from potential pollution.
The Houthis declared war on Israel following the Oct 7 massacre and subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza. The Yemen-based group have attacked Israel directly with more than 200 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, killing one civilian in Tel Aviv.
Attacks have also been aimed at commercial ships in the Red Sea, causing major disruption to international trade.
More than 70 vessels have been attacked, disrupting an estimated £754 billion in “commerce on shipping lanes crucial to Asia, Europe and the Middle East”, according to the Indo-Pacific Defence Forum.
In December, the US formed a coalition of more than 20 countries, nicknamed Operation Prosperity Guardian, to confront the rebels and try to secure the maritime route. The coalition has intercepted numerous drones and ballistic missiles aimed at vessels.
The US and the UK have launched several joint attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen since the coalition was formed.
In June, the two allies launched six air strikes on the Houthis, four of which targeted the airport of Hodeidah, a vital port in Yemen.
Source Agencies
