A ship caught fire in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen on Sunday after being hit by an unknown ordnance, the British military said, with some reports saying the ship's crew was preparing to evacuate, the Associated Press reported, BTA reported.
The incident comes amid a spate of attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea. The rebels have not yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but in previous cases it has taken them hours or even days to do so.
The British military's Merchant Marine Operations Center issued a warning about the vessel, describing the incident as occurring about 130 miles (210 km) away. east of Aden.
“A vessel was hit by an unknown weapon, causing a fire. Authorities are investigating the incident,“ the center said.“Maritime security company Ambri described the vessel as a Cameroon-flagged tanker that was “en route from Sohar in Oman to Djibouti“. It said radio communications indicated the crew was preparing to abandon ship and that a search and rescue operation was underway.“
The Houthis gained notoriety during the war between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas for their attacks on shipping in the area and Israel, which they say are aimed at forcing Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza. The rebel group has not claimed responsibility for any attacks since the ceasefire began on October 10.
The Houthi campaign against shipping in the area has killed at least nine sailors and sunk four ships. It has disrupted shipping in the Red Sea, which carried about $1 trillion worth of goods each year before the war.