A ship caught fire Saturday in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen after being struck by a projectile, the British military said, with initial reports indicating that the crew was preparing to abandon the vessel.
The incident comes amid ongoing attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea corridor. The group has not yet claimed responsibility for this attack, although such claims can take hours or even days.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said the vessel was hit approximately 210 kilometers (130 miles) east of Aden. “A vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile, resulting in a fire. Authorities are investigating,” the UKMTO said.
Maritime security firm Ambrey identified the ship as a Cameroon-flagged tanker traveling from Sohar, Oman, to Djibouti. Radio communications suggested the crew was preparing to abandon ship, and a search-and-rescue operation was underway.
The tanker, reportedly named Falcon, carries liquefied petroleum gas. The vessel was previously identified by New York-based group United Against Nuclear Iran as part of an Iranian “ghost fleet,” which allegedly transports oil products despite international sanctions. The ship’s owners and operators, based in India, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Houthi attacks on shipping have gained global attention during the Israel-Hamas conflict, targeting vessels and Israel to pressure the country to halt military operations. Since the ceasefire began on October 10, the Houthis have not claimed any attacks.
Previous Houthi assaults on shipping have killed at least nine mariners and sunk four ships, disrupting trade through the Red Sea, a route that handles about $1 trillion in goods annually. Their most recent attack before this incident targeted the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht on September 29, killing one crew member and injuring another.
The Houthis have also increasingly threatened Saudi Arabia and detained dozens of UN and aid agency workers, alleging without evidence that they were spies — claims firmly denied by the UN and other organizations.
Source: AP