Greek oil tanker on fire and adrift after multiple attacks in Red Sea

The Sounion was on its way from Iraq to Athens when it was attacked by more than a dozen people in two small boats.

A Greek-flagged oil tanker with 25 crew members on board has caught fire after multiple attacks and is adrift in the Red Sea.

The Sounion was attacked by more than a dozen people on two small boats who fired multiple projectiles at the ship when it was about 77 nautical miles (143km) west of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday morning, the Greek shipping ministry and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

There was a brief exchange of fire, the UKMTO said. In a later update, it said the ship reported another attack that caused the fire and led the vessel to lose engine power and its ability to manoeuvre.

There were no reports of injuries to the crew, made up of 23 Filipinos and two Russians.

Greece’s Maritime Affairs Minister Christos Stylianides condemned what he described as “a flagrant violation of international law and a serious threat to the security of international shipping”.