Regarding #24528 >>19980380 (pb)
Vessel name is CENTRAL PARK, not Central Barak
Chemical Tanker Seized In Gulf Of Aden
By Aziz El Yaakoubi Reuters November 26, 2023
RIYADH, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Unidentified armed individuals have seized a tanker carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday, the vessel’s managing company and a U.S. defense official said.
The incident, involving the chemical tanker Central Park, is the latest in a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since a brutal war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas broke out on Oct. 7.
It followed a seizure of an Israeli-linked cargo ship by Yemen Houthis, allies of Iran, in the southern Red Sea last week. The group, which also fired ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel, vowed to target more Israeli vessels.
“U.S. and coalition forces are in the vicinity and we are closely monitoring the situation,” the U.S. official said.
Central Park, a small chemical tanker (19,998 metric tons), is managed by Zodiac Maritime Ltd, a London-headquartered international ship management company owned by Israel’s Ofer family. The Liberian-flagged vessel was built in 2015 and is owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc, LSEG data showed.
Zodiac Maritime said in a statement Central Park, which is carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid, was involved in a suspected piracy incident while crossing international waters, approximately 54 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.
Phosphoric acid is mostly used for fertilizers.
“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard. The Turkish captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals,” the statement added.
There was no immediate comment from Houthi officials.
More:
https://gcaptain.com/chemical-tanker-seized-in-gulf-of-aden/
Israeli-Linked Tanker Seized in Act of "Piracy" in Gulf of Aden
Published Nov 26, 2023 3:02 PM by The Maritime Executive
An unidentified group has seized an Israeli-linked chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden, about 30 nm off Yemen's southern coast, according to security consultancy Ambrey.
The tanker Central Park was boarded and captured by unknown attackers on Sunday, according to UKMTO. An American defense official has confirmed the attack to the Associated Press, and Zodiac also confirmed the incident in a statement, calling it a suspected act of "piracy."
Yemen's Houthi rebel faction has repeatedly threatened to attack vessels with ties to Israel. The Central Park is managed by Israeli shipping magnate Eyal Ofer's ship management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. The company has previously emphasized that it is a UK-based and registered firm, with all employees in the UK and offices in the UK.
The ship's crewmembers include Turkish, Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals, according to Zodiac. The firm said that the tanker has a full cargo of phosphoric acid.
Central Park was on an eastbound voyage at the time of the incident, and had previously transited past the coast of Houthi-controlled northern Yemen. Ambrey reported that the ship had received radio communications from Houthi forces and an instruction to divert to the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, which it did not obey.
More:
https://maritime-executive.com/article/israeli-linked-tanker-seized-in-act-of-piracy-in-gulf-of-aden