US, UK jets bomb Yemen's main oil export terminal
The latest western attack on Yemen was launched hours after Ansarallah missiles damaged a UK-linked oil tanker in the Red Sea
Yemen's Al-Masirah TV reported on 27 January that US and UK warplanes bombed the port of Ras Issa, the country's main oil export terminal, located in Hodeidah province.
The news followed an announcement by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which claimed: “On Jan. 27 at approximately 3:45 a.m. (Sanaa time), US Central Command Forces conducted a strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed into the Red Sea and which was prepared to launch. US Forces identified the missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
No casualties have been reported from the latest US-led aggression on Yemen.
The attack came a few hours after the country's armed forces carried out a successful operation against the Marshall Islands-flagged and UK-linked Martin Luanda oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, setting the vessel on fire.
No deaths or injuries were reported among the crew as a US navy ship was providing assistance, CENTCOM said.
The attack on the oil tanker was described as “a victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people, and a response to the US-UK aggression against Yemen” by armed forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree.
Singapore-based multinational commodity trading company Transfigura confirmed the Martin Luanda was operated on its behalf and that it was carrying Russian naphtha “bought below the price cap in line with G7 sanctions.”
“We are aware of reports that the M/V Marlin Luanda, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, has sustained damage from an attack in the Gulf of Aden. Current reports suggest no casualties, and nearby coalition vessels are on the scene," a UK government spokesperson said following the attack.
Shortly after the attack, the Free Spirit vessel, chartered by Swiss-based Dutch multinational energy and commodity trading company Vitol to carry crude oil, did a U-turn before reaching the Gulf of Aden, according to data from LSEG Shipping Research.
Although US, UK, and Israeli-linked vessels are being forced to avoid the Red Sea altogether thanks to Sanaa's pro-Palestine operations, Saudi and Chinese shipments are continuing to transit the vital waterway unimpeded.