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Escorted by military ships, operation to tow oil tanker targeted by Houthis off Yemen begins
Political| 14 September, 2024 - 7:09 PM
The operation to tow an oil tanker attacked by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen in August, which poses an environmental threat, began on Saturday, a Greek defence ministry source told AFP.
The source told AFP that the tugboat "Ion Pelagos began to gradually tow the tanker towards the north, accompanied by military ships," adding that the ships' radars were turned off for security reasons.
He explained that a rescue team boarded the ship and attached towing cables amid "unfavourable conditions".
The Greek News Agency reported that the tugboat was accompanied by three frigates, helicopters and a special forces team, without revealing its nationality.
Earlier today, the EU's Operation Aspides released images dated Saturday of its ships escorting three vessels heading to the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sunion.
The European Commission said the mission "actively participated in this complex endeavour, by creating a safe environment, which is essential to enable the tugboats to carry out the towing operation."
Satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC on Saturday morning, and later analyzed by The Associated Press, showed what appeared to be the three rescue ships near Sounion. A warship could be seen nearby.
The tanker was anchored west of the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah, roughly halfway between Yemen and Eritrea.
"avoid disaster"
The European Aspidis mission deployed in the region had earlier declared that Qatar Sunion was "essential to avoid a potential environmental disaster in the region."
In August 2023, the United Nations succeeded in transferring the Safer cargo of more than one million barrels of oil after a long and costly operation.
Source: AFP + Associated Press