A Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker was hit by a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, causing a fire that lasted several hours. The crew managed to extinguish the fire, but the incident further complicated the Red Sea crisis sparked by attacks from Iranian-backed rebels. The tanker was carrying Russian-produced naphtha, implicating Moscow in the conflict, which had previously been blamed on the United States.
The Indian Navy’s guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam assisted the crew in fighting the fire. The ship, managed by a British company, was carrying Russian naphtha bound for Singapore, raising concerns about the environmental impact of the attack.
Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack, vowing that such attacks would continue. Meanwhile, US forces carried out an attack against a Houthi anti-ship missile after a previous incident involving the USS Carney.
Rebels have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea since November, endangering navigation on a key trade route between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. China, a major maritime trade dependent, has called for calm, while Russia has condemned the US and the UK for their attacks against the Houthis.
In a separate incident, a ship in the Arabian Sea reported encountering armed individuals with assault rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade outside their boat. There have been growing concerns about the activity of suspected Somali pirates as Houthi attacks have intensified.