The Marlin Luanda oil tanker, managed by the well-known commercial giant Trafigura Group, was hit by a missile on Friday evening. The Bloomberg publication notes that this is the most serious attack by the Houthi rebels against a ship carrying oil.
“The firefighting system on board the vessel is being used to extinguish and contain the fire that broke out in one of the cargo tanks,” a Trafigura spokesperson said in a statement. “We remain in contact with the vessel and are closely monitoring the situation. Naval vessels in the area are on their way to provide assistance.”
Since November, the Iran-backed Houthis have carried out dozens of attacks on merchant ships sailing through the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The group says it is attacking in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting the terrorist group Hamas.
The United States and its allies have launched airstrikes against the group in response to those attacks, prompting the Houthis to warn they are stepping up attacks on ships. Allies have also targeted the group with sanctions to cut off its financial resources.
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2024-01-26 21:00:04
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