A vessel southeast of Aden reported an incident on Monday, as per UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency. British security firm Ambrey stated that the container ship was struck and issued a distress signal.
It is uncertain whether the vessel was directly impacted or sustained damage from nearby explosions, according to Ambrey. UKMTO mentioned that the incident occurred 91 nautical miles southeast of Aden.
Reason behind the ship attack
Ambrey identified the ship as a Liberia-flagged, Israel-affiliated, container ship traveling from Singapore to Djibouti. The name of the vessel was not disclosed by either agency.
“The vessel was listed as operated by the Israeli company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services. This may have been an out-of-date affiliation, as the vessel was not listed on other public sources,” added Ambrey.
The container ship continued to transmit an AIS signal post-incident, as per UKMTO.
Houthi militants backed by Iran in Yemen have targeted shipping in the Red Sea region since November in support of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The Rubymar cargo ship sank on Friday, marking the first vessel lost since the start of Houthi attacks.
