Another ship reported being targeted off Yemen on Friday, two days after the Houthi militants’ first fatal strike against a commercial vessel off Yemen.
A Singapore-flagged bulk carrier said it was attacked by a missile as it was sailing westbound in the Gulf of Aden, about 48 nautical miles (89 km) south-east of the city, maritime security firm Diaplous said in a flash note.
UK Maritime Trade Operations also reported an incident in the same area, saying that there were “two explosions ahead of the vessel” but that all crew were safe.
The only ship fitting Diaplous’ description and location, according to vessel tracking data, is the 58,200-dwt supramax bulker Propel Fortune (built 2012).
The ship is listed under the ownership and commercial management of Propel Shipping, a Singapore-based operator that is the chartering and operating arm of Indian logistics provider ACT Group. It is technically managed by V Ships Shipmanagement, according to Equasis.
V Ships confirmed in a statement that the ship was the target of a “failed attack” while it was westbound in the Gulf of Aden.
“Two explosions were observed ahead of the Singapore-flag bulk carrier, the nearest, some 200 metres from the vessel,” the technical manager said. “There were no casualties on board and no damage to the vessel.”
The ship has 25 crew members on board.
A source close to the company said the ship is was turning around to continue its voyage by travelling around the Cape of Good Hope.
The Singapore Port Authority also said the ship was not hit.
The Houthis have claimed so far to be striking only vessels they perceive as having links to Israel, which they want to pressure into giving up its military campaign in Gaza, as well as with Israel’s US and UK allies.
However, the Houthis often seem to be targeting vessels based on mistaken, tenuous or arbitrary criteria.
In a statement on Saturday, the Houthis described the Propel Fortune as “American”.
They had claimed the same thing on Wednesday in the case of the 50,400-dwt bulker True Confidence (built 2011) — three crew members of which were killed in the attack and which had a past and no longer valid link to US investment fund Oaktree Capital Management.
Vessel ownership data shows the Propel Fortune had links to Oaktree as well, even though these ties stopped in November 2021, when Propel Shipping took control of the vessel and entrusted its technical management to V.Ships India.
The victims of the True Confidence were the first seafarer fatalities in a campaign in which the Yemeni group has targeted about 70 commercial ships since mid-November.
The True Confidence was under the ownership of a Liberian single-ship company True Confidence Shipping from late February, according to Equasis, and is operated by Greece-based minor player Third January Maritime Ltd, which manages a fleet of three vessels.
TradeWinds understands that even though the company is registered in Piraeus, the interests behind it are Lebanese.
Eric Priante Martin contributed to this story.
