A Greek-owned container ship under long-term charter to CMA CGM suffered multiple attacks in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday in what was the first Houthi operation against a commercial vessel off Yemen in two weeks.
The 2,500-teu Groton (built 2002) was hit by a missile at 17:30 GMT on Saturday as it was sailing 125 nautical miles (232 km) east of Aden, according to the vessel’s Greek manager Conbulk Shipmanagement and the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
“Fire broke out in the cargo holds that were hit, as well as in containers on the main deck, and was extinguished by the crew using the vessel’s fire fighting equipment,” Conbulk said.
Despite the impact “no injuries nor pollution have been reported and there was no water ingress”, the Greek company added.
According to maritime security intelligence firm Diaplous, the attack resulted in a hole in the Groton’s hull 4.5 metres above the waterline with a diameter of about half a metre.
The ship has diverted to Djibouti, where it will arrive early on Sunday evening to assess the damage and make repairs.
The Groton had been targeted again on Saturday four hours before the Houthis actually managed to hit the ship. At 13:30 GMT, armed guards observed “a small explosion in proximity to the vessel” as it was underway 170 nautical miles east of Aden, UKMTO said.
Conbulk, which is known to be a tonnage provider for other operators, said the vessel had been en route from Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates to the Saudi port of Jeddah “under instructions of her long-term charterer”.
Shipping sources told TradeWinds that the charterer is major French liner CMA CGM.
CMA CGM vessels have been attacked in region before. In February, the company briefly suspended Red Sea crossings after Houthi militants fired two missiles in the direction of a container ship it was operating, which was linked to US banking giant JP Morgan.
Houthi forces confirmed on Sunday it was them who attacked the Groton.
As in dozens of other similar incidents over the past year, the rebels’ military spokesman Yahya Saree justified the attack by saying that the company controlling the Groton has violated a Houthi ban on ship calls to Israel.
The Houthis have carried out more than 100 missile and drone operations against vessels since mid-November, to pressure Israel and the West to relent in their war against the Palestinian Hamas group in Gaza.
The attack on the Groton is the first Houthi strike since 20 July, when a sea drone came very close to hitting the 5,060-teu Pumba (built 2006) in the Red Sea.
The Groton incident also comes amid heightened warnings by maritime security experts, as violence in the Middle East threatens to spiral out of control.
In a security update filed late on 2 August, Ambrey said that Israeli-owned ships in the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman or the Arabian Sea may be targeted by Iran, as the Islamic Republic sparked concerns of a regional war by announcing that it will retaliate the Israeli killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
“It is assessed highly likely that Iran will target Israeli military sites and likely or probable Israeli-owned shipping, if there are available targets in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman or Arabian Sea,” Ambrey said in a threat circular.
“Merchant shipping calling at Israeli and Lebanese ports is advised to consider and drill their contingency plans,” Ambrey added.
