An oil tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Aden, Houthi rebels said they hit it with a missile, the Trafigura operator confirmed, BBC and News.ro reported.

Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian SeaPhoto: Peter Hermes Furian / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia

On Friday evening, the Yemeni Houthi movement announced that it had targeted Marshall Islands-flagged Marlin Luanda. Houthi army spokesman Yaha Sarea said the group had used “a number of relevant sea-based missiles” and Friday’s attack was “direct”.

Trafigura, which operates the tanker, confirmed the vessel had been hit and warships were on their way to assist. Trafigura told the BBC that the impact caused a fire in one of the vessel’s tanks and that fire-fighting equipment was being used to contain it. “The fire fighting equipment on board is being deployed to suppress and control the fire in the starboard cargo tank,” a Trafigura spokesman said. “Crew safety is our top priority. We remain in contact with the ship and closely monitor the situation,” said Trafigura.

U.S. officials told CBS that a nearby ship responded to the tanker’s distress signal and there were no injuries.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident occurred 60 nautical miles south-east of Aden. The UKMTO said authorities have been informed and are responding to the latest attack and have warned other ships to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

This is the Houthi movement’s latest attack on commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea.

Since November, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have carried out dozens of attacks on commercial vessels plying the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting Hamas.

The US and Britain launched airstrikes against the group in Yemen in response to its attacks, prompting the militants to warn that they would increase attacks on shipping.

The United Kingdom and the United States have also imposed sanctions on the Iran-backed militant group to reduce its financial resources.

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