Attempts on to salvage oil tanker blown up by Yemen's Houthi rebels

A new attempt has begun to try to salvage an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, a European Union naval mission said Saturday.

The EU's Operation Aspides published images dated Saturday of its vessels escorting ships heading to the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion.

The mission has been actively involved in this complex endeavour, by creating a secure environment, which is necessary for the tugboats to conduct the towing operation, the EU said.

A phone number for the mission rang unanswered Saturday.

The Sounion came under attack from the Houthis beginning August 21. The vessel had been staffed by a crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel, who were taken by a French destroyer to nearby Djibouti.

The Houthis later planted explosives aboard the ship and detonated them. That's led to fears the ship's 1 million barrels of crude oil could spill into the Red Sea.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels wi