ALBAWABA-Maritime authorities reported a serious incident on Sunday after an unidentified projectile struck a commercial vessel approximately 110–128 nautical miles southeast of Aden, sparking a fire onboard.
The British Maritime Trade Operations Agency (UKMTO) confirmed receiving reports from the ship’s master, who witnessed a “splash and smoke” astern of the vessel.
Investigations are underway, with ships in the area urged to transit cautiously and report any suspicious activity.
While no group has claimed responsibility, the waters off Yemen have been a hotspot for Houthi attacks on Israeli-linked vessels since November 2023, carried out in solidarity with Gaza.
Though maritime incidents had declined in the Red Sea over the past two and half months, analysts warn the strike could mark an escalation.
The development came just hours after Yemen’s Houthi military spokesperson announced two separate operations against Israel: one involving a “Palestine-2” hypersonic ballistic missile with a fragmentation warhead targeting Jaffa, and another deploying drones against two sites in Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat).
