Israel-linked tanker seized off coast of Yemen

An Israeli-linked tanker was seized Sunday off the coast of Yemen, officials said, following at least two other recent maritime attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war. 

The Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, was seized in the Gulf of Aden, private intelligence firm Ambrey said, according to The Associated Press. 

The attack is a "suspected piracy incident," according to Zodiac.

"Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard," Zodiac also said. "The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The vessel is carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid."

Phosphoric acid is a corrosive chemical that can irritate the nose, lungs and throat, according to health officials.

Zodiac said the seized ship is owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., a U.K.-based company, but the wire service reports that the ship is listed in other records as being owned by Zodiac. Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group operates the London-based Zodiac Maritime.

It is not immediately clear who was behind the attack, as Somali pirates are not known to operate in the area and the Gulf of Aden is far from Yemen's Houthi-controlled territory, where attacks against Israel have been launched since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.

The seizure of the Central Park comes after the Israeli-owned container ship, the CMA CGM Symi, came under attack Friday in the Indian Ocean by a suspected Iranian drone.

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