A crude oil tanker bound for India was hit by an attack drone fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the US military said. M/V Saibaba, a Gabon-flagged tanker with Indians on board, reported no injuries but sent out a distress call.
The US military claimed that an attack drone fired by Houthi terrorists struck an Indian-flagged crude oil ship in the Red Sea. The tanker MV Saibaba, owned by Gabon, reported no casualties after the impact, according to a post on X by Central Command.
The US military was notified of an attack on two ships in the Southern Red Sea at around 8 p.m. (Sanaa time). The chemical and oil tanker M/V BLAAMANEN, flying the Norwegian flag, reported a close encounter with a Houthi attack drone that resulted in no harm or injuries. The second ship, the Indian-flagged crude oil tanker M/V SAIBABA, owned by Gabon, claimed that a one-way attack drone struck it, but no one was hurt.
On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles.
Between 3 and 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG… pic.twitter.com/jcBisbXBaS
The Houthi rebels are backed by Iran, which has been accused in yesterday's attack on MV Chem Pluto off the Indian coast. They have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, claiming that they are targeting Israeli-linked vessels in solidarity with Gaza.
According to the US military, the events on Saturday marked the 14th and 15th time that the Houthi rebels had attacked commercial cargo since October 17.