Cargo ship hit by missile southeast of Yemen’s Aden — UK maritime security firm

British security firm Ambrey says an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship has been struck by a missile 83 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Aden. The vessel caught fire before the blaze was contained.

Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report from a captain of a vessel on an incident 80 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Aden.

UKMTO says it also received a report from a master of a vessel about another incident 70 nautical miles southwest of Aden.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels, which control the most populous parts of Yemen, has attacked ships off its coast for months, saying it is acting in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

“The ship was heading southwest along the Gulf of Aden at speed 8.2kts when the forward station was struck by a missile. A fire started but was neutralised,” Ambrey says in an advisory note.

“A second missile was sighted but did not hit the ship. Persons on board small boats in the vicinity opened fire on the ship during the incident.”

Ambrey says the ship changed its course to port with increased speed, adding that “no injuries were reported.”

The Houthi fighters have aimed drone and missile strikes at the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden, forcing shippers since November to take longer and more costly journeys around southern Africa.