The American Central Command revealed early Monday morning how it rescued the Central Park tanker that was apparently hijacked by Houthi forces from Yemen.

According to the command statement, the USS Mason, with its accompanying boats and aircraft from the Anti-Piracy Force, responded to a Central Park distress call after it was attacked. Upon arrival, the forces demanded the release of the ship. After that, five attackers tried to escape using a small boat and a manhunt took place, at the end of which the five were captured. The entire crew of the tanker is in good condition.

The ship's crew includes 22 people, it is carrying phosphoric acid, and it was attacked yesterday (Sunday) about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.

After the ship was freed at 01:41, two ballistic missiles were fired from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen towards the USS Mason and Central Park. The missiles fell in the waters of the Gulf of Aden. The USS Mason, which is part of the strike force of the aircraft carrier Dwight Eisenhower, completed the response activity at the stage when the missiles were launched. There was no damage or casualties.

"The security of maritime traffic is essential for regional stability," said General Michael Korilla, commander of the US Central Command. "We will continue to work with our allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international shipping lanes."

Second attack in a week
The attack on Central Park, which left Morocco a few days ago without specifying a target, was carried out a week after the hijacking of the Ro-Ro ship Galaxy Leader, of the "Ray" company owned by Rami Unger.

The difference between the attacks is that the Galaxy Leader was hijacked in the Red Sea, while Central Park was attacked off the coast of Somalia. That is, in the Gulf of Aden and after crossing the Strait of Bab al-Mandab which is located between Yemen and Djibouti.

Source: Globes (Israel) - Photo: Reuters