The Houthi rebels of Yemen have communicated early Thursday morning that they have launched an offensive with drones and missiles against two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, which they accuse of "violating the blockade imposed" by their militias against Saudi Arabia, in response to the "siege" that, they claim, Riyadh maintains over the country.
In an official statement, the military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Sari, explained that "The Yemeni Armed Forces have carried out a high-quality military operation against two Saudi oil tankers that have violated the blockade imposed by the Armed Forces in the Red Sea," identifying the vessels as ENCELIA and LAYLA.
According to Sari, "the operation has been carried out with ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as with drones," and would have triggered "a large fire on both vessels." The insurgent representative also added that the Houthi forces "have forced approximately ten vessels to withdraw and return."
The spokesman insisted that "The Armed Forces will continue their naval operations against the Saudi enemy and will persist in applying the equation 'Siege for siege'," referring to the strategy with which they intend to respond to Saudi Arabia's actions in the region.
Saudi confirmation of the attack on the ENCELIA
In parallel, the Saudi General Transport Authority has confirmed that the ENCELIA tanker, belonging to a company in the country, has been hit while transiting through the Red Sea, which has caused "a fire in the bow."
In a statement released by the official Saudi agency SPA, the body condemned the attack and noted that, despite the incident, "all crew members are safe," while "the competent authorities have taken all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the vessel and its crew, as well as to protect the marine environment."
The institution emphasized that "These attacks constitute a violation of international laws and agreements that guarantee the safety of merchant vessels and their crews."
According to data from the tracking portal Marine Traffic, the ENCELIA, a 250-meter-long oil tanker, 44 meters wide and with a Saudi flag, remains detained in the waters of the Red Sea after the incident.
Report from the UKMTO and silence on the LAYLA
For its part, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO, for its acronym in English) has indicated that it has received notification of an incident 70 nautical miles, almost 130 kilometers, southwest of Al Shuqaiq, in Saudi Arabia, at a location that matches the position attributed by Marine Traffic to the ENCELIA, although the British agency does not mention the name of the affected vessel.
"The captain of a tanker reports having been hit by an unknown projectile that caused a fire on board, which the crew is fighting," stated the UKMTO, dependent on the British Navy, which also specifies that "no casualties or environmental impact have been recorded."
In contrast to the information available about the ENCELIA, Saudi authorities have not provided any details so far about a possible incident affecting the tanker LAYLA. Likewise, neither Marine Traffic nor other maritime tracking platforms consulted by Europa Press show new data about this vessel for approximately a week, when it was listed as navigating. The UKMTO has also not reported any more recent attacks apart from the one already mentioned.