A group of sailors whose vessel was targeted with rocket-propelled grenades has been saved from the Red Sea near the coastline of... Yemen .
The ship, known as the Liberian-registered bulk carrier Magic Seas, was struck by underwater drones and attackers armed with firearms traveling in small vessels, leading to a fire onboard, reported maritime security officials.
The crew left the foundering cargo ship and was picked up by another boat that happened to be passing by.
The entire crew has now been confirmed safe.
The UK Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO) stated in a release: 'Ships operating in this region are advised to take utmost care when navigating through the southern part of the Red Sea, due to potential risks involving vessels.'
remains abandoned and unlit’.
Nobody has yet taken credit for the assault, an incident occurring amid persistently elevated tensions in the region. Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war.
Nevertheless, the magnitude of the attack raised suspicions that Yemen’s Houthi insurgents were responsible. While the insurgents confirmed that the attack occurred, they have not taken credit for conducting the strike.
"It probably signals that the Houthis still have both the ability and intent to attack key maritime targets, irrespective of ongoing diplomatic efforts," noted Mohammad al-Basha, a Yemen specialist with the Basha Report risk consultancy.
UKMTO reported that the vessel's armed security personnel fired back during the incident.
A maritime security company named Ambrey has raised an alert after one of the vessels reported being under assault from eight small boats during its journey through the northern part of the Red Sea. According to them, they suspect that this incident may still be continuing at present.
The vessel came under attack approximately 51 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah.
In another advisory, Ambrey reported that the vessel subsequently came under attack from four Unmanned Surface Vehicles.
“Two of the USVs struck the left side of the ship, causing damage to the vessel’s cargo,” Ambrey stated further. According to the UKMTO, the assault led to a blaze aboard the ship, with the situation still unfolding.
UKMTO urged ships in the region to exercise vigilance and notify authorities of any unusual behavior.
The Houthi insurgents have carried out multiple missile and drone strikes targeting both civilian and naval vessels in the area, which their leaders claim is aimed at halting Israel's military operations against Hamas in Gaza.
Al-Masirah, the Houthi group's satellite television station, confirmed that the strike took place but provided no further details about it during a broadcast featuring an address from their hidden leader, Abdel Malek al-Houthi.
From November 2023 to January 2025, the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks against over 100 commercial ships, resulting in the destruction of two vessels and the deaths of four crew members. These actions have significantly disrupted maritime traffic along the vital Red Sea route, where approximately one trillion U.S. dollars' worth of cargo passes each year.
The Houthis halted their assaults under a unilateral ceasefire until the... US Initiated a wide-scale offensive against the insurgents in mid-March. The operation concluded several weeks afterward, and since then, the Houthis have refrained from attacking ships, though sporadic missile strikes aimed at Israel have persisted.
At the same time, a broader conflict in Yemen—a ten-year struggle between the Houthi rebels and the nation's displaced government—continues without resolution, with both sides locked in a deadlock despite support from a Saudi-backed military alliance.
Somali pirates have been active in the area as well, though they usually aim to seize ships for theft or crew ransoms.
Contact our news team by sending an email to webnews@Axofa.co.uk .
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