Gulf of Aden Attack: UK Ship Catches Fire After Projectile Strike

The incident occurred as Yemen's Houthi rebels continue their campaign of targeting commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea corridor in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, as per Al Jazeera.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre issued an alert about the attack, saying the vessel was struck about 210 kilometres (130 miles) east of Aden.

"A vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile, resulting in a fire," the UKMTO said in a statement.

"Authorities are investigating." It added that while the source of the explosion has not yet been confirmed, "an onboard accident cannot be ruled out."

Maritime security firm Ambrey identified the ship as a Cameroon-flagged tanker that sent out a distress call while travelling about 60 nautical miles (approximately 110 kilometres) south of Yemen's Ahwar, en route from Sohar, Oman, to Djibouti, as per Al Jazeera.

According to Ambrey, radio communication suggested that the crew was preparing to abandon the vessel as a search-and-rescue operation was launched, Al Jazeera reported.

The firm also noted that the tanker does not appear to match the target profile typically associated with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, which have carried out numerous attacks on ships in the Red Sea since 2023.

The Houthis have not immediately claimed responsibility for the latest incident, though they often take several hours or even days to do so.

- ANI