A Cameroon-flagged LNG carrier issued a distress signal after an explosion on board off the coast of Yemen, British maritime security firm Ambrey and the EU naval mission Aspides said on Saturday.
The incident occurred in the Gulf of Aden, about 60 nautical miles south of Ahwar on Yemen’s southern coast, according to Ambrey.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported a fire on board after the vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile.
The EU naval force Aspides, deployed in the area, said “a fire is ongoing” on the Cameroon-flagged MV Falcon, which was carrying natural gas.
According to Aspides, rescue operations are still underway. Twenty-four of the 26 crew members have been rescued, one remains on board, and another is missing.
Ambrey noted that the LNG carrier, which was sailing from Sohar, Oman, to Djibouti, does not belong to the category of vessels typically targeted by Yemen’s Houthis in the area, a key maritime route for global trade.
Since the start of the Gaza war, the Iran-backed insurgents have launched missile and drone attacks in waters off Yemen against ships they claim are linked to Israel, saying they act in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Ambrey added that the vessel had been mentioned in 2022 by the U.S. group United Against Nuclear Iran as being involved in sanction-evasion activities.
In late September, a Houthi attack on the Dutch cargo ship MV Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden killed one person and caused a fire on board, injuring another crew member.
The Houthis have also regularly carried out missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory, most of which have been intercepted.
In response, the Israeli Air Force has conducted several deadly raids on Houthi targets in Sanaa and in northern and western Yemen, where the Yemeni insurgents control large areas.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis said they remained “on alert” and were closely monitoring its implementation before considering halting their operations.
AFP
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