Burning Greek tanker adrift in Red Sea after suspected Houthi attacks
There was a brief exchange of small arms fire during the incident, the UKMTO said. In a later update, the UKMTO said the ship reported another attack that caused the fire and led the vessel to lose engine power and its ability to manoeuvre.
There were no reports of injuries among the 25 crew members, made up of two Russians and 23 Filipinos.
Delta Tankers, the ship’s operator, confirmed the ship was adrift and had sustained minor damage. The crew were assessing the situation and the ship would proceed on its journey, it said in a statement.
Sounion is the third Delta Tanker-operated ship targeted by the Houthis. The militants earlier this month attacked the Liberia-flagged Delta Atlantica and Delta Blue tanker ships in separate attacks.
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Yemen’s Houthi fighters behind Red Sea attacks threaten to disrupt global trade
Also on Wednesday, the captain of a different cargo ship sailing off the coast of Aden reported a total of five explosions in nearby waters, UKMTO said, later identifying the vessel as the SW North Wind I. The crew and the ship were unharmed in the attacks.
The US-based owner and manager of the Panama-flagged SW North Wind I did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Houthis’ months-long campaign against commercial shipping has continued despite retaliatory strikes by Britain and the United States, which have shot down drones and bombed attack sites in Yemen.
The assaults have forced shipowners to divert vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to the longer route around the southern tip of Africa, cascading costs and delays through global supply chains.
The Houthi attacks have sunk two ships and killed at least three crew members. The Houthis have said the attacks will not stop until Israel stops its “aggression” in Gaza.