(Athens) An oil tanker attacked in August by Yemeni Houthi rebels and abandoned off the coast of Yemen, with more than a million barrels of crude oil on board, is to be towed soon, the Greek coastguard assured on Thursday.
“Two tugs have left the port of Piraeus and are now in the vicinity of the tanker Sounion “, the same source said.
Hit by missiles last month, the Souniona Greek-flagged ship, posed the risk of an oil spill four times larger than that caused by theExxon Valdez in 1989 off the coast of Alaska.
The two Greek ships that left Piraeus are accompanied by the Greek frigate Psara and a French warship. “The difficult towing should begin shortly in the greatest discretion,” according to the Greek coastguard.
The Houthis, who control large swathes of Yemen, have for months targeted ships they believe are linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in the context of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
THE Sounionwhich is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, caught fire and lost power after being attacked on 21 August. Its 25 crew members were evacuated the following day by a French frigate from the European Aspides mission, deployed in the area.
Days later, rebels claimed to have detonated charges on the ship’s deck, sparking further fires.
Since November, Houthi attacks have killed at least four crew members and sunk two ships, including the Rubymar, a bulk carrier that sank in March with thousands of tons of fertilizer on board.