The Houthis claim to have targeted a container ship in the fleet of AP Moller-Maersk off the coast of Oman.
The Yemeni group’s military arm said it carried out an operation that took aim at the 4,957-teu Megalopolis (built 2013), owned by US-listed tonnage provider Costamare.
The shipowner and Maersk could not be immediately reached for confirmation of the incident.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree announced the operation on the group’s media website and in a post on X.
He said a number of drones targeted the Megalopolis while it was in the Arabian Sea.
“The operation has successfully achieved its objectives,” he said.
Tracking data from VesselsValue shows that, as of an hour of this writing, the Megalopolis was off the Omani port of Salalah. Its location transponder was broadcasting that it was underway, but it was barely moving at 0.4 knots.
Tracking data shows that the ship reached Arabian Sea from the Mediterranean, taking the long way around the Cape of Good Hope rather than transiting the Suez Canal.
Military forces monitoring maritime security in the region, including the Royal Navy’s UK Maritime Trade Operations, have not mentioned an attack that matches the description of the operation.
And the Houthis have previously claimed attacks against faraway ships that later reported that they never came under fire.
Saree said on X that the ship was targeted because its owner violated the militant group’s ban on calling at Israeli ports, although location data shows the Megalopolis has not called in the country.
In explaining the claimed operation, Saree voiced support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, whose leader was killed after a firefight with Israeli forces on Tuesday.
“The martyrdom of the great leader Yahya Sinwar will only increase the resistance and the determination of all the free people in the world to continue the path of liberation and victory,” Saree said.
The Malta-flag Megalopolis has insurance from the Swedish Club and is classed by DNV.
