EU military operation rescues crew of Greek oil tanker hit by Red Sea attack

Aug. 22 (UPI) -- An oil tanker that was attacked in the Red Sea was abandoned and left adrift after the crew was rescued, the European Union's military operation in the area said Thursday.

EUNAVFOR Aspides said on social media that it dispatched a ship to rescue the crew of the Greek-flagged vessel Sounion which came under attack and lost engine power in the Red Sea on Wednesday.

It noted that the ship also destroyed an Unmanned Surface Vessel that "posed an imminent threat" to the Sounion and its crew before everyone on board was rescued and transported to the nearest safe port of call in Djibouti.

"The lives of seafarers and freedom on the high seas are nonnegotiable values and their protection is a key objective of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES," said the military operation, which noted the Sounion had not previously asked for its protection.

On August 21, the MV SOUNION, which had not asked for EUNAFVOR ASPIDES protection, came under an attack in the South Red Sea area and lost its engine power.

Following a request from the master, the operation dispatched a ship in order to rescue the crew.

While approaching... pic.twitter.com/gdSbTjmzRm — EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) August 22, 2024

U.K. Maritime Trade Operations said on Wednesday that Sounion was approached by "two small craft" with the first carrying 3-5 people and the second carrying about 10 people that hailed the ship about 77 nautical miles west of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah "leading to a brief exchange of small arms fire."

The ship was then struck by "two unidentified projectiles" and was later hit by a third, sparking a fire and leaving the ship without engine power.

Greek Shipping Minister Christos Stylinides said the ship carried a crew of 25 foreign nationals who were in "good health" although the attack caused "material damage to the ship."

Stylianides called the attack a "flagrant violation of the rules of international law and a serious threat to the safety of international navigation."

While the UKMTO did not identify the suspects behind the attack and no group claimed responsibility but the Hodeidah port is controlled by the Iran-back Houthi rebels.

The militants have been attacking shipping vessels -- both military and non-military -- since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. The Houthis have said they are targeting ships linked to Israel, the United States and Britain in support of Palestinians but have also targeted ships not related to those nations.

The Sounion tanker was transporting crude oil to Iraq's Port of Basra when it came under attack. Delta Tankers, the ship's operator from Greece, said the damage was being examined before it will continue to Iraq.