Warships have arrived at the scene of a tanker on charter to trading giant Trafigura and owned by investors connected to JP Morgan after it caught fire after a Houthi strike.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the 110,000-dwt Marlin Luanda (built 2018) was the target of an attack on Friday.
The ship is listed in the fleet of Oceonix Services and owned by institutional investors advised by JP Morgan.
“Yemeni naval forces carried out a targeting operation on the British oil ship Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden, using a number of appropriate naval missiles,” he said in a statement.
“The strike was direct, and resulted [in] the burning of the vessel.”
A Trafigura spokesperson confirmed that the product carrier, which the company operates, was hit by a Houthi missile.
“Firefighting equipment on board is being deployed to suppress and control the fire caused in one cargo tank on the starboard side. The safety of the crew is our foremost priority,” the spokesperson said.
“We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully.”
Warships are on their way to provide assistance.
“No other vessels operated on behalf of Trafigura are currently transiting the Red Sea,” the spokesperson said.
UK Maritime Trade Operations said that “coalition warships are in attendance” and providing support to the ship.
Confirmation of the attack emerged after the UK Royal Navy agency and two maritime security firms said a merchant ship caught fire in an attack by a Houthi missile about 55 nautical miles (102 km) southeast of the Yemeni port of Aden.
Ambrey Analytics and Diaplous Group said crew members on the vessel are safe.
The latest incident followed an attack earlier in the day in which two tankers, including the Marlin Luanda, had a near miss in the Gulf of Aden.
As TradeWinds reported, a projectile exploded near the 109,000-dwt product tanker Achilles (built 2008), which is affiliated with India Gaurik Ship Management and was transporting cargo from Russia’s Ust-Luga port.
The Marlin Luanda, which flies the Marshall Islands flag, was reported to have been 10 nautical miles away from that incident.
The Houthis have threatened to target ships linked to the US and UK after the two countries launched several air and naval strikes against the militant group in Yemen.
Friday also saw the USS Carney, a destroyer operating in the Gulf of Aden, shoot down an anti-ship ballistic missile that was fired in its direction from Houthi-controlled territory of Yemen.
