Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. The attack reportedly caused no casualties.
The Houthis say the missile strike on the Marlin Luanda tanker was carried out late Friday.
According to the ship’s operator, the impact caused a fire in one of the ship’s oil tanks. The fire is currently being extinguished. The United States also confirms that the attack took place.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed in a statement that the ship was British and that the attack was carried out “in response to the American-British attack on our country”.
Marlin Luanda sails under the Marshall Islands flag and is operated by a multinational Trafiguracompany, says the BBC. The company has a unit in London, for example.
Red Sea ships targeted by multiple attacks
It is the latest attack on commercial ships off the Red Sea. The attack was carried out in the Gulf of Aden, which is an area of sea connecting the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea to the south of Yemen.
The Houthis have justified their attacks by saying that they want to show their support for the Palestinians and condemn Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The US says it has foiled another Houthi attack after a tanker caught fire.
The United States and Britain have carried out airstrikes on Houthi positions in response. Counterattacks have been supported by numerous countries, including Denmark, saying that the most important thing is to defend free traffic. Many cargo ships have decided to avoid the Red Sea route, which increases the cost of transportation.
Sources: AFP, Reuters