An oil tanker caught fire in a missile attack in the Red Sea. The ship’s owner, Trafigura, said the Marlin Luanda was hit by a missile while en route to the Red Sea on Friday. Yemen’s Houthi fighters were initially reported to have carried out the attack.
London-based trading firm Trafigura said fire-fighting equipment was being deployed on board to contain the fire in a cargo tank on the starboard side.
They are being contacted by a 250 meter long ship.
The crew boarded lifeboats as a precaution. However, no injuries were reported. The ship was carrying a flammable liquid called naphtha, which made the fire even more dangerous.
The security organization United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, said it received reports from a ship that an explosion was heard and a missile was spotted about seven kilometers from the ship’s position. The ship was located 111 km from the Yemeni city of Aden.
A short time later, a second explosion was heard and the ship reported sighting the missile. And, the second explosion occurred less than a kilometer away from the ship. The two missiles did not cause any damage or injuries. The ship continues to proceed to its next designated port.
The UKMTO said coalition forces had responded, but did not elaborate.
The incident occurred on the USS Carney 60 nautical miles southeast of the coast of Aden, Yemen. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) oversees the area.
The USS Carney was targeted by a ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, the US military said. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was the first time the Houthis had directly targeted an American warship since they began their offensive.
The United Kingdom and the United States have carried out several attacks targeting several installations of Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The US military said its strikes targeted radar installations, missile launch sites and, most importantly, underground arsenals.
The attack was carried out in response to Houthi attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Houthi attacks on merchant ships are disrupting international supply chains and violating the rights and freedom of navigation.
The Houthis have said that they are carrying out this attack in support of the Palestinians who are fighting with Israel.
