A ship carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid belonging to the OCP group was the target of a piracy attempt yesterday, Sunday November 26, in the Gulf of Aden, Le360 has learned from the global phosphate giant. Read more.

The oil tanker Central Park, carrying a cargo of 19.159 tonnes of phosphoric acid loaded at the port of Safi for two Indian customers, was the subject of an alert when it was targeted in the Gulf of Aden by a group of armed individuals on Sunday November 26, confirms an OCP group source contacted by Le360.

At the time of going to press, the tanker was still on its way to India, its final destination, according to the same source.

The British maritime security company Ambrey announced that a group of assailants had taken control of the tanker yesterday, Sunday. US and coalition forces intervened during the day and "the crew of the M/V Central Park are currently safe", a US defense official told AFP.

The attackers were apprehended by the US Navy, officials told the Associated Press. Two ballistic missiles fired from Yemen landed near a US warship that was assisting the tanker.

The Liberian-flagged Central Park belongs to the London-based Zodiac Maritime group, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

The company described the attack as a "suspected piracy incident". "Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew members on board," a Zodiac Maritime spokesman said in a statement, reports US broadcaster ABC News. "The Turkish captained vessel has a multinational crew made up of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals," he added.

For the moment, no group has claimed responsibility for the assault, but it comes at a time when two other maritime attacks have taken place in recent days, in retaliation for the Israeli army's war against Hamas in Gaza.

Wadie El Mouden