The crew of the USS Mason responded to a distress call from a tanker off the coast of Yemen, saving it from an attack by gunmen, Fox News reported. The tanker is managed by Zodiac Maritime, chaired by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.
According to sources, "five armed gunmen seized the tanker after boarding from a skiff by pulling up alongside the tanker," while the tanker's crew locked itself in a safe room. The attackers allegedly left the vessel after they were unable to break into the safe room. The USS Mason pursued and caught the gunmen, who are now "being questioned by the US military under counter-piracy authorities," the report said. It is currently unclear whether the attack is connected to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
