Houthis booby-trapped, detonated oil tanker

SANAA, Yemen (AFP) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have announced they had booby-trapped and detonated the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, stranded in the Red Sea after a drone and missile attack earlier this month.

The group’s leader said Thursday that the operation took place earlier this week. Since then, the rebels have agreed to allow rescue teams to access the ship.

A video shared on the rebels’ media outlets showed masked men planting explosives on the vessel and then detonating them, causing several fires on board.

The Sounion was hit by the Houthis off the coast of Hodeida on 21 August, according to the UKMTO maritime agency, which said at the time the attack caused a fire and cut engine power.

The European Union’s Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, had rescued its 25 crew members last week, leaving the vessel — now at risk of causing an oil spill — abandoned.