Bahri denies VLCC Amjad was hit by Houthis

US Central Command said on Twitter that the vessels hit in separate Houthi attacks on September 2 were the Greek-operated Blue Lagoon and Bahri’s VLCC Amjad.

Bahri released a statement saying it “unequivocally affirms that Amjad was not targeted and sustained no injuries or damage. The vessel remains fully operational and is proceeding to her planned destination without interruption.”

The company, formerly known as National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia, said its VLCC was in the region at the time and was nearby another tanker which was the target of the Houthi attack.

The incident underlines the ongoing danger in the Red Sea both to the lives of seafarers and to the local environment. Delta Sounion, a vessel disabled by a Houthi attack in late august and subsequently set alight with remote explosives, continues to burn with its cargo of around 1m barrels of crude oil.

Blue Lagoon is also reported to be carrying crude oil, and while Amjad was not the target of the September 2 drone, its proximity to the explosive impact while carrying a cargo of 2m barrels of oil shows the potential scale of disaster should a fully laden VLCC spill its cargo.

US Central Command said the disabled Delta Sounoin is still on fire and threatens the possibility of a major environmental disaster.

Related:Two more ships hit in Red Sea as Sounion continues to burn

“These reckless acts of terrorism by the Houthis continue to destabilise regional and global commerce, as well as put the lives of civilian mariners and maritime ecosystems at risk,” it added. 

The US military continues to target Houthi assets, destroying two missile systems in the past 24 hours, it said at 0200 hrs on September 3.