Tanker full of phosphoric acid — and with apparent ties to Israel — seized off Yemen
A tanker full of phosphoric acid — and with apparent ties to Israel — was seized near the coast of Yemen on Sunday, according to authorities.
No group appears to have claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
London-based Zodiac Maritime, which is listed as an owner of the vessel, Central Park, confirmed the seizure, and said later Sunday that the vessel’s crew had made contact and reported they and their cargo were “unharmed.”
“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard,” Zodiac initially said in a statement.
“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,” the company added.
“We would like to thank the coalition forces who responded quickly, protecting assets in the area and upholding international maritime law.”
Although based out of the United Kingdom, Zodiac Maritime operates under Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group.
A Pentagon rep told The Post, “We’re aware of reports of an attack on an Israeli-owned ship and have no additional details to provide at this time.”
The Pentagon added in a statement, “There are indications that an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals seized the M/V Central Park in the Gulf of Aden, Nov. 26. U.S. and coalition forces are in the vicinity, and we are closely monitoring the situation.”
Zodiac chalked up the seizure to “a suspected piracy incident.”
Private intelligence firm Ambrey confirmed the seizure, which is believed to have taken place in the Gulf of Aden.
Aden is largely under the control of the internationally recognized government of Yemen and its allies.
Yemen has been engulfed in a civil war with Houthi rebels, who have been responsible for occasional attacks on ships in the region over recent years.
The area where Central Park was confiscated is believed to be a significant distance from Houthi stronghold territories, and Somali pirates generally do no operate there either.
Zodiac Maritime did not immediately respond to a Post request for comment.
Since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas against Israel, there has been an uptick in attacks on the US and other forces in the region.
The seizure of Central Park follows an attack by a suspected Iranian drone against the container ship the CMA CGM Symi, which was owned by another Israeli billionaire.
Iran did not claim credit for that assault.
With Post wires
