Five armed individuals believed to be Somali nationals were detained by the US Navy after attempting to seize a tanker ship off the coast of Yemen.
The incident occurred when the five individuals boarded the M/V Central Park, a tanker ship linked to an Israel-affiliated company. A US destroyer, the USS Mason, and allied ships responded to the incident and demanded the release of the vessel. The five individuals eventually surrendered after being pursued by the Mason. Initial indications are that the five individuals are Somali, and the incident is being described as "clearly a piracy related incident."
After boarding the ship, the armed individuals attempted to access the crew cabin, but the crew were able to lock themselves in a safe area. The attempted ship seizure was followed by the launch of two ballistic missiles from an area controlled by Houthis in Yemen. The missiles landed about 10 nautical miles from the Mason and Central Park without causing damage to the ships. The US military is not speculating on whether the two incidents are linked.
The incident comes amid a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel by the Houthis as the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza conflict since the war began is estimated to be around 15,000, mostly civilians.
