An oil tanker affiliated with Israel has purportedly been seized by an armed Islamist group, the Associated Press has reported, citing the Ambrey private intelligence company.
The company's representatives reportedly said that the vessel - the Central Park - was seized in the Gulf of Aden. They added that the tanker belongs to Zodiac Maritime, an international ship management company that has alleged ties to Israel.
The US Navy are currently “engaged in the situation and have asked vessels to stay clear of the area," the company added.
AP has also received comment from an anonymous US defense official who confirmed the incident. The US source also shared that apparently “an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals” is responsible for the highjacking.
While it is yet to be established who is behind the attack, the Yemeni government is joined by an allied coalition led by the Saudi Arabia in overseeing the Aden region. This coalition has long fought against the Houthi rebels present in Yemen. The part of the Gulf of Aden where the ship was stopped is presumably under the control of these forces.
Notorious Somali pirates are not suspected in the incident since they have not been seen to operate in the area.
The Houthi movement (officially called Ansar Allah) started in the early 1990s in opposition to the then-Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was in office for over three decades. Ansar Allah has gradually turned into an extremist anti-US and anti-Israel religious and political group, seeking to seize complete control over the country.
Today, their scattered forces control some of the Red Sea coast. The Houthis have warned of their intention to attack ships linked to Israel and have called on other countries to withdraw their crews and avoid approaching them at sea.