An oil tanker linked to Israel has been seized off the coast of Aden, Yemen, by an unknown force, the Associated Press reported, citing a private security firm, on Sunday.
According to the report, the ship that was seized is The Central Park, which is managed and owned by Zodiac Maritime, a company owned by Israeli shipping magnate Eyal Ofir.
It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind the attack. Aden is held by forces allied to Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a Saudi-led coalition that has battled Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for years.
The US Navy’s 5th Fleet did not immediately respond to questions from AP. According to private security firm Ambrey, “US naval forces are engaged in the situation and have asked vessels to stay clear of the area.”
Zodiac Maritime called the attack “a suspected piracy incident.”
Last week, Houthi militants from Yemen hijacked the Galaxy Leader, a British-owned cargo ship that was managed by a Japanese company and manned by an international crew but assumed to be linked to Israel.