Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Friday stepped up attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea, including a hit that sparked a fire on a fuel tanker operated on behalf of trading firm Trafigura.
Trafigura said a missile struck the fuel tanker Marlin Luanda as it transited the Red Sea. The tanker was carrying Russian naphtha purchased below the price cap in line with G7 sanctions, a Trafigura spokesperson said.
Firefighting equipment on board was being deployed to suppress and control a fire in one cargo tank on the starboard side, the company said in an emailed statement.
“We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully,” it said, adding military ships were underway to assist.
Attacks by Houthi rebels have primarily targeted container vessels moving through the Red Sea. Many oil tankers have kept using the route.
On Friday, vessel Free Spirit, chartered by Vitol to carry crude oil, did a U-turn before reaching the Gulf of Aden, shortly after the attack on the Marlin Luanda, according to data from LSEG.
The Houthi military spokesperson said naval forces carried out an operation targeting the “British” tanker Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden, causing a fire to break out.
The U.S. military said in a statement it shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, adding there were no injuries or damage.
