Vessel struck by unidentified projectile off Yemen, crew reported safe

Around 23 nautical miles west of the Yemeni port of Mokha, a ship is hit by unidentified projectile, causing a fire on board

A ship traveling close to Yemen was hit by “an unidentified projectile”  on Saturday, according to authorities. The incident happened amid heightened tensions in the area, mainly because Houthi rebels were attacking Red Sea cargo more often, according to the British Navy’s United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The hit caused a fire on board, but thankfully it was quickly put out, and the UKMTO verified that neither the ship nor her crew had sustained any injuries. When the tragedy happened, the ship was apparently headed to its next port of call.

The precise origin of the assault is still unknown since no party has taken instant credit for it. According to UKMTO, the hit happened around 23 nautical miles west of the Yemeni port of Mokha.

Ambrey, a maritime security group, reports that the targeted ship was an oil tanker flying the Panamanian flag and headed for New Mangalore Port in India. Interestingly, Ambrey pointed out that the tanker’s operator and identity had changed as recently as February 2024 in the registration records.

According to Ambrey, the vessel in issue was first registered in 2019 and belonged to the British company Union Maritime Ltd. This information is important since Houthi rebels had previously attacked a different ship connected to the same corporation.

Over the last several months, Iran-backed Houthis have been behind many missile and drone strikes on ships. They also control a large chunk of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. They assert that they are acting in solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinian population. Furthermore, the rebels have made it clear that they want to attack ships coming from Israel, the United States, Britain, and Israel, as well as those going to Israeli ports, which would seriously hamper marine activity along this important trade route.

Leading an international coalition to protect ships in the Red Sea, the United States has reacted militarily to the Houthi threats. U.S. Marines have been attacking Houthi sites in Yemen since mid-January. According to the U.S. Central Command, the U.S. military recently declared that it had launched defensive strikes against three Houthi underground storage facilities, destroyed four drones, and intercepted four anti-ship ballistic missiles that the rebels had fired toward the Red Sea that same day.

Source: AFP