(Web Desk) - Yemen’s Houthis said Wednesday they targeted the Saudi oil tanker Daisy in the Gulf of Aden with a ballistic missile, claiming they struck the vessel and forced it to change course and turn back.
In a statement, the militant group said the attack was carried out “successfully” and resulted in a direct hit on the tanker. The claim could not be independently verified.
According to the statement, the operation was conducted as part of efforts to enforce a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia under what the group described as the “siege for siege” equation, a reference to its stated policy of responding to blockades imposed on Yemen.
The Houthi armed forces further said they are closely monitoring the movements of Saudi oil tankers and warned that they would not allow such vessels to sail through maritime routes from either the southern Red Sea or northern approaches until what they described as the legitimate demands of the Yemeni people are met and the blockade on Yemen is lifted.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities regarding the claim.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said it received a report of an incident earlier Wednesday involving a loud explosion in close proximity of a tanker 95 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen. The incident was reported at 2:30 p.m. UTC (10:30 a.m. ET). Crew members are all accounted for and safe, no environmental impact was reported, and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said. It is unclear whether this is the same vessel the Houthis claimed to have attacked.