Houthi rebels from Yemen attacked oil tanker in Red Sea
Houthi rebels shelled the oil tanker Marlin Luanda (photo: twitter.com/sentdefender)
Yemeni Houthi targeted a crude oil tanker belonging to the Trafigura Group in the Red Sea with missile attacks, resulting in a fire on board the vessel, according to Bloomberg.
Rebels fired upon the Marlin Luanda vessel, which was transporting a shipment of petroleum products for gasoline and plastic production.
According to Trafigura's press service, the attack resulted in a fire in one of the cargo compartments on the starboard side.
"We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully. Military ships in the region are underway to provide assistance," the statement reads.
Maritime intelligence company Ambrey Analytics reported that the incident occurred approximately 55 miles southeast of the Yemeni city of Aden.
Map: Bloomberg
Yemeni Houthi attacks and Western countries' response
Houthis - a Shiite group formed in the 1990s to combat the corrupt Yemeni government. They derive their name from founder Hussein al-Houthi, who was eliminated by the Yemeni army in September 2004. Houthis consider themselves part of the axis of resistance led by Iran against Israel, the U.S., and the West.
Since November 2023, Yemeni Houthis have consistently launched drone, cruise, and ballistic missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Aden Strait and the Red Sea. The initial attacks coincided with the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In response to numerous attacks, on January 12, the U.S. and U.K. launched missile strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen for the first time.
On January 17, the U.S. designated the Houthis as a global terrorist organization and conducted additional strikes on insurgent positions the following day.
Starting from January 11, U.S. Forces, along with allies, have destroyed over 25 Houthi rocket installations.
The U.S. also imposed sanctions on key Houthi figures for their support of terrorist acts against maritime traffic in the Red Sea.
On January 25, the U.S. urged China to persuade Iran to influence the Houthis and compel them to cease their attacks.
On the afternoon of January 26, the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile at the U.S. destroyer USS Carney, which was successfully intercepted.
