US Destroyer Responds to Attack on Commercial Tanker, Ballistic Missiles Fired Towards It

The US military confirmed that two ballistic missiles were launched from Houthi rebel-controlled Yemen towards a US warship in the Gulf of Aden. This came after the US Navy responded to a distress call from the Central Park, a commercial tanker that had been seized by armed individuals. The tanker was carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid when its crew reported being under attack from an unknown entity, according to a statement from the US Central Command.

Upon arrival, the USS Mason, a guided-missile destroyer, and other ships from a counter-piracy task force operating in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, responded to the distress call and insisted on the release of the vessel. According to Central Command, five armed individuals then disembarked the ship and tried to escape in their small boat. This information was shared on the social media platform X.

The Mason chased after the attackers, ultimately leading to their surrender. The statement did not specify who the attackers were.

Furthermore, at 1:41 a.m. local time on Monday morning, two ballistic missiles were launched from territories held by Houthi rebels in Yemen "in the general direction" of the USS Mason and Central Park, as per the statement.

The statement reported that the missiles landed in the Gulf of Aden about ten nautical miles from the ships. At the time of the missile launches, the Mason was completing its response to the distress call from the Central Park. It also mentioned that there were no damages or reported injuries to either the Central Park or the Mason.

Zodiac Maritime, the manager of the Central Park, announced on Sunday that the Liberian-flagged chemical tanker and its crew, vessel, and cargo are safe and unharmed. While the tanker is connected to an Israeli-owned company, Zodiac Maritime, listed as a business belonging to Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Ofer Global, clarified that it is not owned by Ofer Global, according to spokesperson Janni Jarvinen.

Gen. Erik Kurilla, the leader of US Central Command, emphasized the importance of maritime domain security for regional stability in a statement on Sunday.

Kurilla mentioned that the US will persist in collaborating with allies and partners to safeguard the safety and security of international shipping lanes.