The US destroyer USS Mason responds to a distress call from an Israel-affiliated commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden.

The US military has captured five attackers who hijacked an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden amid rocket attacks from Houthi-controlled Yemen.

The destroyer USS Mason responded Sunday to a distress call from a commercial tanker that had been taken over by armed attackers in the Gulf, U.S. Central Command said announced.

The Liberian-flagged tanker carrying phosphoric acid was identified by the shipping company as Central Park. The ship is managed by Zodiac Maritime Ltd, a London-based international ship management company owned by the Israeli Ofer family.

The US military said the USS Mason, with the help of allied ships, demanded the release of the merchant ship by the attackers.

“Five armed individuals then left the ship and attempted to escape in their small boat,” US Central Command said in a statement. “The Mason pursued the attackers, which ultimately led to their surrender.”

The statement added that two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen toward the Mason and Central Park, but landed about 10 nautical miles from the ships, causing no damage or injuries.

On November 26, USS MASON (DDG 87), along with allied ships from our Anti-Piracy Coalition (TF 151) and associated aircraft, responded to a distress call from M/V CENTRAL PARK, a merchant vessel They were attacked by an unknown entity. At arrival,… pic.twitter.com/ASmM3b0xrf

– US Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 27, 2023

The Yemeni government in Aden blamed the attack on the country’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. However, the rebels who control the capital Sanaa have not acknowledged the occupation or the rocket attack.

Trouble at sea

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since War in Gaza erupted on October 7th.

This was followed by seizure an Israeli-linked cargo ship by Houthi forces in the southern Red Sea last week.

The Houthis, who have also fired ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel, have vowed to attack more Israeli ships.

Zodiac Maritime said in a statement that Central Park was involved in a suspected piracy incident about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia while crossing international waters.

“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew members on board. The Turkish-led ship has a multinational crew consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals,” the statement added.

Zodiac Maritime also thanked “the coalition forces who responded quickly, protected assets in the region and complied with international maritime law.”

Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations Agency (UKMTO) said on Sunday it was aware of a possible attack in southwest Aden and urged other ships to exercise caution.

The US blames Iran for unclaimed attacks on several ships in the region in recent years. Tehran has denied involvement.

A container ship managed by an Israeli-controlled company was hit by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean, causing minor damage to the ship but no injuries, a U.S. defense official said on Saturday.