Vessel Under Siege: Blaze Erupts Following Assault in the Red Sea

A recent publication by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) highlights a concerning maritime security event in the Red Sea near Yemen. A vessel was attacked about 51 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah, resulting in a fire onboard. This incident has been confirmed as an assault by the Houthi group, marking their first strike on commercial shipping since December 2024.

The UKMTO report details that multiple small vessels engaged the ship with gunfire and self-propelled grenades. An armed security team aboard returned fire as the situation unfolded. Further updates revealed that unknown projectiles had hit the vessel, igniting a fire and prompting an examination by authorities.

This Liberian-flagged ship faced an unprecedented escalation linked to Houthi activities, according to Martin Kelly from EOS risk Group. The attack involved around 8 to 9 skiffs equipped with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), along with four explosive unmanned surface vessels (USVs), two of which successfully struck their target. This incident not only marks a meaningful shift in Houthi tactics but also raises alarms about increased threats to commercial shipping routes.

Just days prior, on July 4th, UKMTO had issued warnings regarding potential collateral damage for vessels operating near Houthi-controlled ports like Ras Isa and Saleef if further strikes occurred in those areas. Although there hadn’t been any attacks on merchant ships for over seven months, experts believe that Houthis still possess capabilities to target specific vessels within key maritime zones such as the Southern Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait—especially those associated with israeli interests or linked to Haifa’s port.

Following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas earlier this year,during which Houthis stated they would limit their actions against ships solely owned or flagged by Israelis,tensions have resurfaced dramatically since May when they declared a blockade against Haifa after negotiations facilitated by Oman.

Maritime security firms have previously advised Israeli-affiliated vessels to steer clear of these waters entirely while recommending extreme caution for US or UK-linked ships navigating thru these regions due to heightened risks. The UKMTO continues urging all transiting vessels “to exercise extreme caution” around previously targeted ports while assessing whether it’s wise to operate in those areas at all.

For anyone sailing through this region right now: stay alert! Report any suspicious activity you encounter directly back to UKMTO so we can keep our waters safer together!