January 26, 2024
Updated 2 hours ago
Image source: Indian Navy
A tanker with links to Britain was engulfed in flames for several hours in the Gulf of Aden after being hit by a Houthi-fired missile.
The Iran-backed Yemen-based movement said it targeted the Marlin Luanda on Friday in response to “US-British aggression.”
The US and Britain have launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in response to attacks on ships in the Red Sea region.
French, Indian and US naval vessels provided assistance to the ship.
The operator of the Marlin Luanda is registered as Oceonix Services Ltd, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.
The tanker sails under the Marshall Islands flag and is operated on behalf of Trafigura – a multinational trading company.
In an update on Saturday, Trafigura said all crew were safe and the fire in a cargo tank had been extinguished. The ship is now heading towards a safe port, the company said.
This is the Houthis' latest attack on commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea. The group says it is targeting ships in the region to support Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting Hamas.
In a statement, a Houthi spokesman claimed the Marlin Luanda was a British ship and was targeted in response to “American-British aggression against our country.”
The British government said attacks on merchant shipping were “totally unacceptable” and that Britain and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately.”
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the incident occurred 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden.
It warned other ships to sail through with caution and report any suspicious activity.
U.S. Central Command later said its forces had carried out an attack at 3:45 a.m. local time (00:45 GMT) on Saturday “against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was poised to be launched toward the Red Sea.” They “destroyed the missile in self-defense,” CentCom said.
Since November, the Houthis have carried out dozens of attacks on merchant ships sailing through the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.