A new salvage attempt has begun to recover an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea following strikes by Yemen's Houthi rebels, according to a European Union naval mission on Saturday.
The EU's Operation Aspides released pictures on Saturday of its vessels escorting ships moving towards the stricken Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion.
According to the EU, the mission has “been actively involved in this complex endeavor by creating a secure environment, which is necessary for the tugboats to conduct the towing operation.”
The Houthis launched an attack on Sounion on August 21. The vessel was staffed by a crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel, who were transported to neighboring Djibouti by a French warship.
The Houthis later placed and detonated explosives aboard the ship, raising worries that the ship's 1 million barrels of crude oil might spill into the Red Sea and trigger an environmental disaster.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the Israeli war on Gaza began last October.
Photo by: EUNAVFOR ASPIDES