In the third such attack of the Israel-Hamas conflict, attackers take a tanker associated with Israel off the coast of Yemen

On Sunday, attackers captured an Israeli tanker off Yemen, authorities claimed. No group immediately claimed credit, but at least two other marine strikes in recent days have been related to the Israel-Hamas war.

The Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, was detained in the Gulf of Aden, the company and Ambrey stated. On condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, an American defense official told The Associated Press the strike occurred.

Zodiac called the seizure “a suspected piracy incident.”

“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard,” Zodiac added. “The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The vessel is carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid.”

Zodiac claimed Clumvez Shipping Inc. owned the vessel, although other records stated Zodiac owned it. Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group owns London's Zodiac Maritime. Daniel Guy Ofer, a Zodiac Maritime director, was a Clumvez Shipping director according to British corporate records.

The attacker's identity was unclear. For years, Yemen's internationally recognized government and a Saudi-led coalition have fought Iran-backed Houthi rebels near Aden. That section of the Gulf of Aden is theoretically within their authority and far from Houthi-controlled territory. Somali pirates are also unknown there.

According to the U.S. defense official, “an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals” seized the ship.