Jan. 26 (UPI) — A British oil tanker is on fire in the Gulf of Aden after Houthi rebels hit it with a missile, just hours before the group attacked a U.S. Navy ship.
Houthi rebels based in Yemen struck the Marlin Luanda oil tanker Friday as it transited the Red Sea, a spokesperson for operator Trafigura confirmed.
U.K. Maritime Organizations said it received a report the vessel was on fire and requesting assistance some 60 nautical miles south of the Port of Aden in Yemen.
Trafigura reported the crew is deploying firefighting equipment to contain the fire in one cargo tank on the starboard side. The company said it is in constant contact with the vessel, and its top concern is the safety of the crew.
No other Trafigura vessels are transiting the Red Sea, the company said.
Houthi military spokesperson Yaha Sarea confirmed his group targeted the vessel with “a number of appropriate naval missiles.”
“Yemeni Armed Forces persist with their military operations: enforcing a blockade on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian seas until a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza, and food and medicine are allowed in to the besieged Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” he said in a video statement.
The Marlin Luanda is owned by Britain-based Oceonix Services.
This was the second reported Houthi attack against a commercial tanker Friday. Earlier in the day, the Marlin Luanda reported an explosion in the air above the Achilles, an oil tanker reportedly under contract to an Indian shipper. The projectile did not hit either tanker.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have threatened to target ships linked to the United States and Britain after the two countries launched air and naval strikes in retaliation for their attacks on commercial vessels.
U.S. Central Command confirmed Friday morning that Houthi rebels also launched an attack on a U.S. Navy ship in the Red Sea, the latest salvo in the ongoing conflict.
“At approximately 1:30 p.m. Sanaa time (5:30 a.m. EST), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Carney in the Gulf of Aden,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
“The missile was successfully shot down by USS Carney. There were no injuries or damage reported.”
The military did not provide any further information. However this would be the first reported time Houthis have targeted a U.S. military vessel rather than a commercial vessel.
The attack comes one day after the United States and Britain announced formal sanctions targeted at four Houthi leaders.
The Iran-backed group began hostilities Nov. 19, with more than 27 attacks against ships since that time.
American and British military forces have since launched a series of retaliatory missile and drone strikes in Yemen against the Houthi group.
More than a dozen shipping companies have rerouted their vessels to avoid being targeted.