Topline
The U.S. Navy captured a group of armed assailants who had seized a tanker in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, disrupting the latest in a series of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
In an undated photo released by Zodiac Maritime, the tanker Central Park is seen.
Key Facts
According to the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), the naval destroyer USS Mason carried out the counter-piracy mission after receiving a distress call from the tanker MV Central Park early on Monday.
Five armed assailants, who had taken control of the tanker, attempted to flee from the site after the US Navy ship demanded the release of the vessel and its crew.
CENTCOM said the U.S. Navy ship pursued the hijackers and forced them to surrender, and all crew members onboard the Central Park were safe.
After the incident, two ballistic missiles were fired at the general location of the USS Mason from the Iran-backed Houthi rebel-controlled territory in Yemen, and landed around 10 nautical miles from the ship.
The tanker, operated by Zodiac Maritime, was carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid with a multinational crew of 22 sailors onboard, the company said.
Tangent
Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, although it is unclear if its was targeted by the assailants for this reason. According to our estimates, Ofer’s current net worth stands at $20.2 billion, making him the world’s 88th richest person.
