By Jana Choukeir and Renee Maltezou
DUBAI/ATHENS (Reuters) -The crew of Greek-flagged oil tanker the Sounion that was attacked in the Red Sea abandoned the vessel and were taken to Djbouti by the EU’s Red Sea naval mission “Aspides”, an official in the mission told Reuters on Thursday.
Sounion, which can carry up to 1 million barrels, was fully loaded with crude oil, the Apsides official and a maritime security source told Reuters. The vessel was now anchored between Yemen and Eritrea, the security source added.
It was the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be attacked in the Red Sea this month. Delta Tankers said it is working on a plan to move Sounion to a safer destination for further checks and repairs.
The Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The Yemen-based Houthis have yet to claim responsibility for the attack on the Sounion, which was hit by multiple projectiles about 77 nautical miles west of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday, leading to a fire onboard and loss of engine power.
The EU Red Sea naval mission said it responded to a request from the shipping company and the captain of the vessel and dispatched a unit to provide protection to it and rescue the crew, made up of two Russians and 23 Filipinos, the Aspides official said.
“During the approach to the incident area, in the morning hours of Aug. 22, a USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) was successfully neutralised as it posed a threat to the MV SOUNION and its crew,” the official added.
British security firm Ambrey said earlier a nearby vessel observed smoke coming from the water, after spotting a fire approximately 58 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s port of Salif – an incident likely related to the destruction of an unmanned surface vessel.
“Hostile manned, and unmanned craft, have been operating in the area,” Ambrey added.
Greek Shipping Minister Christos Stylianidis condemned on Wednesday the attack on the Sounion, saying its was “a flagrant violation of international law and a serious threat to the safety of international shipping”.
In dozens of attacks in the Red Sea since November, the Houthis have sunk two vessels and seized another, killed at least three sailors and upended global trade by forcing ship owners to avoid the popular Suez Canal trade shortcut.
The Greek shipping ministry said the vessel was sailing from Iraq to Agioi Theodoroi in Greece.
(Reporting by Jana Choukeir in Dubai and Renee Maltezou in Athens; Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul; editing by Jason Neely and Alex Richardson)
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