Houthis attacked a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, the UK Navy said.
Maritime security companies Ambrey and Diaplous said the vessel was flying the Palau flag and veered 90 degrees off course after the attack. That matches the description of the vessel, called Islander, vessel tracking data shows.
The fire was the latest major incident in less than a week, after a previous attack forced the vessel’s crew to abandon it near the narrow hub of Bab El-Mandeb. Its operator said on Wednesday that the vessel was half submerged and rescue efforts were underway.
Islander’s operator is Gemstone Marine Ltd, which is based in Liberia and only owns the vessel, according to the Equasis marine database. Its technical manager is a company from Romania called African Express Ltd.
The International Maritime Organisation database reports that the ultimate owner of the Islander is Joahar Group Ltd. However, a representative of a company in Oulton Broad, England, called Jaohar UK Ltd. stated that it did not own the Islander.
The Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November. Previously, they said their actions were revenge for Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
