Houthis attack two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi militia claimed to have attacked two oil tankers linked to Saudi Arabia, while a Saudi news agency later confirmed that one of the two vessels caught fire after an assault in the Red Sea.

The Saudi state news agency SPA, citing an official source from the General Transport Authority, stated that an aggression caused a fire in the bow of the Encelia, but that all crew members were unharmed.

Authorities secured the vessel and its crew, and took measures to protect the marine environment, calling the attack a violation of international law, SPA reported, citing the source.

In their statement, the Houthis claimed to have attacked two oil tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, noting that the vessels had violated the naval blockade imposed by the Iran-aligned group on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

The Houthis specified that they attacked the tankers with an unspecified number of ballistic and cruise missiles, in addition to drones.

A maritime security source previously indicated that the Encelia had issued a distress call via VHF radio, reporting that it had been hit by a missile while operating on the outer limits of Jizan Port, in the Red Sea (Saudi Arabia), and that it was on fire.

The British maritime risk management group Vanguard also indicated that the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Encelia was hit by an unidentified projectile on its starboard side, about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia.

For its part, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency stated that it had received a report of an incident in the same area, informing that the captain of a tanker reported being hit by an unknown projectile that caused a fire on board, which was being fought by the crew.

It was not immediately clear if the UKMTO report referred to the Encelia, although the location and details matched the report issued by Vanguard. The latter added that the Houthis had claimed responsibility for the attack, and also maintained that they had hit a second vessel, the Layla, a fact that - according to the entity - remains unconfirmed.

In the same statement where they announced their attack on the two oil tankers, the Houthis also claimed to have forced about 10 ships to turn back. Reuters could not immediately verify this version.

Five oil tankers changed course in the Red Sea on Wednesday, two of which indicated the Suez Canal as their new destination after the Houthis warned vessels to avoid Saudi ports, according to maritime tracking data.