A laden Teekay LNG ship was attacked off the coast of Yemen earlier today, the company said in a statement. But the crew and the vessel are reported safe.
The United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an attack on a "merchant tanker" occurred at approximately 1026 UTC eight nautical miles off of Perim Island, which sits in the straits between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
The UKMTO said the vessel was approached by a small boat and the occupants fired a rocket propelled grenade at the vessel. The UKMTO added that the crew is safe and the vessel has continued with its transit, with its destination listed as Ain Sokhna, Egypt, according to VesselsValue.
The vessel was unidentified, but Teekay LNG confirms it was the 138,000-cbm Galicia Spirit (built 2004).
Teekay LNG said in a statement that the ship reported a "suspected piracy attack." It said no third parties managed to board the vessel and all crew members have been accounted for, and the ship's cargo is secure. The vessel is heading away from the area with a Djibouti warship in attendance.
The attack on the Galicia Spirit followed a 15 October attack on the US Navy destroyer Mason. The US subsequently launched an attack on radar sites in Yemen targeting the country's Houthi rebels.
