The firm said that a missile struck the fuel tanker Marlin Luanda as it traversed the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aden. The strike resulted in a fire in one of the ship's cargo tanks, and firefighting equipment was being used to contain it, reported news agency Reuters.
According to Reuters, a Houthi military spokesperson stated that naval forces conducted an operation targeting the "British" tanker Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden, causing a fire to break out.
The oil tanker, which flies under the flag of the Marshall Islands, was carrying Russian naphtha purchased below the price cap in line with G7 sanctions, as reported by Reuters. The US military stated that the Houthi rebels hit the vessel with an anti-ship ballistic missile, after which a naval ship responded to its distress signal. Despite the attack, no injuries were reported.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report of an incident approximately 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden, where "a vessel has been struck by a missile and remains on fire." Crew members were reportedly safe. "Coalition Warships are in attendance and supporting the vessel," UKMTO added, according to Reuters.
Subsequently, US Central Command said that its forces conducted a strike at 3:45 AM (local time) on Saturday, "against a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed into the Red Sea and which was prepared to launch," as reported by the BBC. They "destroyed the missile in self-defence," CentCom reportedly added.
The Houthi rebels have primarily targeted container vessels navigating through the Red Sea, yet many oil tankers have continued to use the route.
The rebels claim that they are attacking vessels in support of Palestinians in response to Israel’s operation in Gaza.
