A merchant vessel off Yemen’s Hodeida port was struck by three projectiles, resulting in a fire onboard and loss of engine power, according to a British maritime security agency. The ship had encountered two small vessels before being hit by the projectiles. The incident left the vessel drifting and without command, but fortunately, there were no casualties reported.
The vessel, identified as the Greek-flagged Sounion, owned by Delta Tankers, was carrying 25 crew members, mostly Filipinos, on a journey from Iraq to a port near Athens. The Greek port authority mentioned that the ship may have been targeted by either missiles or drones, but no injuries have been reported.
In a separate incident near Aden, another vessel reported two explosions in the water, but the crew is safe and the ship is continuing its voyage to the next port. These attacks come amidst the ongoing campaign by Huthi rebels in Yemen, disrupting maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The rebels claim their actions are in support of Gaza, impacting global trade routes in the region.
The United States and Britain have launched counterattacks against Huthi targets in response to these incidents, yet the rebel activities persist. The disruptions caused by the attacks have led to increased security measures for merchant vessels navigating the Red Sea.