Houthi missile hits Norwegian tanker Strinda
Written by Nick Blenkey
Strinda was headed for Italy, not Israel. [Photo: A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels]
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis are escalated the attacks on merchant shipping that began with the hijacking of the car carrier Galaxy Leader. Yesterday, the group followed up on a threat to target all ships heading for Israel with a missile strike on the Norwegian-flagged tanker Strinda.
U.S. Central Command says that the attack occurred around 4.00 p.m. EST, when the Strinda was attacked by “what is assessed to have been an Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) launched from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen while passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb. The Strinda reported damage causing a fire on-board, but no casualties at this time. There were no U.S ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the USS Mason responded to the M/T Strinda’s mayday call and is currently rendering assistance.”
FRENCH FRIGATE DOWNS DRONE
The missile strike appears to have been only one part of the Houthi attack. The French Ministry of Defense said today that the FREMM multi-mission frigate Languedoc had intercepted and destroyed a drone that was directly threatening the Strinda and had then taken up a position protecting the tanker.
STRINDA WAS HEADED FOR ITALY, NOT ISRAEL
The vessel’s owner, Bergen-headquartered A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels released the following statement today:
“While at sea in the Red Sea off Yemen the vessel MT Strinda was hit by a missile last night 11th of December.
“The vessel was carrying a cargo of biofuel feedstock from South East Asia to Italy.
“Fortunately, there were no injuries to any member of the Indian crew, who managed to extinguish the fire.
“The crew and the ship were assisted by the U.S. and French navies and brought to safety and are still under protection by naval forces.
“Our focus has been and remains, the safety and well-being of the seafarers on board.
“There is no Israeli link to the ownership or the management of the vessel. She was, however, tentatively nominated by her charterers for a cargo out of Ashdod in January.
“The contract was entered into three weeks ago, subject to no further escalations in the area.
“Owners had an option to cancel the contract if such a worsening of the situation would take place.
“Upon the recommendation of our security advisors, it was decided to withhold this information until the vessel and her crew were in safe waters.”
NORWAY CONDEMNS ATTACK
“Norway strongly condemns all attacks against civilian shipping, most recently the attack in the Red Sea last night on the Norwegian-registered ship MT Strinda, owned by J. Ludwig Mowinckel’s shipping company,” said Norwegian Secretary of State Eivind Vad Petersson in a statement released today. “Arbitrary attacks like this are totally unacceptable. The attacks pose a mortal danger to crew and cause great economic and material losses to innocent parties.
“The waters around the Arabian Peninsula, including the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, are vital transport arteries for the entire global economy. It is of crucial importance that trade routes at sea are safe and secure. Norway is a strong promoter of maintaining international order in the seas.
“Norway works closely with allies both politically and militarily to ensure free and safe navigation at sea. The Norwegian authorities are also in close contact with the Norwegian Shipping Association in the further handling of the case.
“The possible consequences of a regional conflict escalation are dramatic. Norway is in close dialogue with relevant partners both in and outside the region. We have called on all regional actors to contribute to de-escalation in order to avoid further negative developments in the region.”
