2 ballistic missiles shot at US Navy as it thwarted seizure of Israel-linked cargo ship, 5 assailants captured - UPDATE: Pentagon blames Somali pirates

Middle East Monitor
Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:49 UTC

© US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Blake Midnight/Handout via Reuters

US destroyer USS Mason

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced at dawn today that two ballistic missiles were launched from areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen towards a US naval destroyer in the Gulf of Aden.

CENTCOM posted a statement on X saying: "At approximately 0141 on Nov. 27 Sanaa time, two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen toward the general location of the USS MASON (DDG 87) and M/V CENTRAL PARK. The missiles landed in the Gulf of Aden approximately ten nautical miles from the ships."

"There was no damage or reported injuries from either vessel during this incident."

The statement also quoted General Michael Erik Kurilla, USCENTCOM commander saying: "Maritime domain security is essential to regional stability. We will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international shipping lanes."

The X statement added: "On Nov. 26, the USS MASON (DDG 87), with allied ships from our coalition counter-piracy task force (TF 151), and associated aircraft responded to a distress call from the M/V CENTRAL PARK, a commercial vessel, that they were under attack by an unknown entity. Upon arrival, coalition elements demanded release of the vessel. Subsequently, five armed individuals debarked the ship and attempted to flee via their small boat. The MASON pursued the attackers resulting in their eventual surrender."

There was no immediate statement issued by the Houthi group regarding Washington's reports.

Yesterday evening, the CENTRAL PARK vessel owned by the Israeli Ofer family was attacked near the coast of Aden in Yemen.

According to Israeli media reports, the ship sailed "under the Liberian flag, and is owned by the Zodiac Maritime, based in the United Kingdom."

Earlier yesterday, gunmen seized a tanker loaded with phosphoric acid in the Gulf of Aden, according to the Ambrey maritime security company.

The company said in a statement that the Houthis previously threatened to attack the tanker if it did not divert to the port of Hudaydah. It also noted that there were citizens from Russia, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Georgia, India and the Philippines on board the tanker.

The Houthis have previously vowed to target ships owned or operated by Israeli companies "to support the Gaza Strip," calling on countries to "withdraw their citizens working on the crews of these ships."

Comment: In the past few weeks, of the 3-4 Houthi attacks on Israeli-owned vessels, the US has successfully neutralised 1: US Navy 'monitoring' Houthi's seizure of yet another Israeli-linked vessel

UPDATE: November 27th @ 20:06 GMT

Al Jazeera reports that the Pentagon claims that Somali pirates were to blame:

The United States has said that a group of attackers who tried to seize an Israel-linked cargo ship over the weekend were probably Somali pirates rather than Houthi fighters from nearby Yemen.

Speaking on Monday, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder noted that the US has not ruled out a Houthi connection to the attempted hijacking by five armed men over the weekend.

"We're continuing to assess, but initial indications that these five individuals are Somali," said Ryder.

"Clearly a piracy-related incident," he added.

US Navy forces thwarted the capture of the tanker Central Park over the weekend after it was boarded by armed men, who were captured after the US warship Mason arrived on the scene.

The attempted hijacking comes at a time when Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have carried out a series of raids on ships in the region, and the US said ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled territory in the direction of US ships shortly after the attack.

The Houthis have consolidated control over large swathes of northern Yemen and emerged as a growing force in the region after a years long war with the country's government and a coalition of forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

While fighting in Yemen has become more subdued over the last year, the Houthis have launched several attacks on Israel amid ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Fighting became 'more subdued' after the Houthis began bringing the war closer to home by targeting Saudi Arabia with drones.

Missile and drone attacks launched towards Israel have largely failed, but the group has seized commercial ships in the Red Sea that they say have connections to Israel.

Following one such seizure earlier this month, the US said that it was considering redesignating the Houthis as a "terrorist" organisation.

The Pentagon has said that the ballistic missiles fired over the weekend were launched in the general direction of the US ships, but that they fell into the ocean about 19km (10 nautical miles) away from the vessels and did not result in any injuries.

Yemen's government in Aden placed blame on the Houthis for the attack, but the group did not acknowledge either the missile launch or the attempted vessel seizure.

The Central Park is managed by Zodiac Maritime Ltd, a London-headquartered international ship management firm, owned by Israel's Ofer family.