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Houthis Claim to Have Attacked Saudi Oil Tankers in Red Sea
Developing
In Short: Houthis claim to have targeted two Saudi oil tankers, citing their violation of a naval embargo, in an escalation of tensions in the Red Sea.
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, claimed to have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers, the Encelia and Layla, for their alleged violation of a naval embargo they had announced days prior.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated, 'We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named Encelia and Layla, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces.' The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Encelia had been hit, though details on the Layla attack were not provided.
The Houthis have also forced nearly ten ships to abandon their routes, according to a journalist based in Sanaa. The ultimate goal of the naval blockade is to force Saudi Arabia to lift its embargo on Houthi-controlled ports and airports.
Hussain al-Bukhaiti, a journalist based in Sanaa, noted that the Houthis have successfully closed access to the Red Sea for Israeli ports, leading to the closure of Eilat port in southern Israel, suggesting their ability to disrupt maritime traffic is significant.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Claimed attacks come days after Houthis announced naval embargo on Saudi vessels.
- “We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named Encelia and Layla, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Wednesday.
- The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Encelia had been hit, citing an official source at Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority.
- “These attacks constitute a violation of international laws and conventions that guarantee the safety of commercial vessels and their crews,” the SPA, which did not provide details on the claimed Layla attack, said.
- The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, had also forced “nearly ten ships… to abandon their routes, and turn back”, Saree said.
- “The Saudis feel that they can instigate a popular uprising against the Houthis using these economic strangulation methods,” Hussain al-Bukhaiti, a journalist based in Sanaa told Al Jazeera.
- “The ultimate goal for Ansar Allah’s naval blockade against the Saudis, is to force Riyadh to lift its embargo on the ports and airports controlled by the Houthis,” al-Bukhaiti said.
- “The people who are questioning if the Houthis can successfully do a blockade against the Saudis should remember, how successfully the Houthis closed access to the Red Sea for the Israeli ports, which in fact…
Sources
- Al Jazeeralink