A Chinese-owned oil tanker was attacked off Yemen coast by ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels, who have intensified strikes on Red Sea shipping, the US military said.
The Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned and operated Huang Pu issued a distress call on Saturday but did not request assistance, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on social media platform X early on Sunday.
CENTCOM and the British Navy’s United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a fire had broken out on board the ship but was extinguished within 30 minutes.
The Marine traffic tracking website later had the vessel sailing out of the Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden heading for its next port of call which, according to maritime security agency Ambrey, was New Mangalore in India.
CENTCOM said Houthi rebels had launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea near the Huang Pu before a fifth hit the vessel.
The United States, which leads an international coalition meant to protect Red Sea shipping, has been hitting Houthi rebels targets in Yemen since mid-January.
CENTCOM said that, following the attack on the Huang Pu, US forces engaged six drones launched by the Houthis, five of which crashed into the Red Sea, while the sixth flew into a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.