A risky operation to salvage an oil tanker attacked by Houthi terrorists in the Red Sea and avert what could have been one of the largest oil spills in recorded history has been completed, British maritime security company Ambrey and Greece have said. The 900-foot Greek-registered MT Sounion, carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, was struck by several missiles and drones and caught fire on Aug. 21, triggering fears of an oil spill that could cause catastrophic environmental damage in the area. Months later, the vessel has been declared safe and its cargo has been removed, said Ambrey, which led the salvage operation. In mid-September, Sounion, which was hit 58 miles off the Yemeni coast, was towed to a safe location 150 miles to the north by a flotilla of seven salvage vessels escorted by the European Union's naval force Aspides. Extinguishing the fires on board took three weeks in difficult climate conditions, Ambrey said, and the vessel was later towed north to Suez for her cargo to be removed.
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