US cargo ship hit by missile off Yemen coast

A US cargo ship was hit by a missile off the Yemeni city of Aden, the UK maritime watchdog said, but has not released further details.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which is operated by the British navy, said today that a cargo ship was hit by a missile while traveling about 177 km southeast of the Yemeni city of Aden.

"The captain reported that the missile came down from above and hit the port side of the ship," UKMTO said, without identifying the vessel. The agency said it was investigating the incident and advised cargo ships in the area to remain cautious.

The Gibraltar Eagle cargo ship docked in Belgium in July 2023. Photo: Fleetmon

The target of the missile was a bulk carrier owned by a US company, flying the Marshall Islands flag and not affiliated with Israel, said Ambrey, a UK-based maritime security consultancy. The attack caused a fire in the ship’s cargo hold, but there were no casualties and the ship remained seaworthy.

British officials said this was an attack aimed at US interests in the region, in response to the airstrikes carried out by Washington and London against Houthi forces in Yemen in recent days.

Central Command (CENTCOM), the US military's Middle East operations unit, said the cargo ship MV Gibraltar Eagle was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthi forces.

Houthi representatives have not commented on the incident.

The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have stepped up attacks on shipping passing through the Red Sea since fighting in the Gaza Strip erupted in early October, in an effort to pressure Israel into halting its campaign against Hamas, the Houthis’ ally in the Middle East’s anti-Tel Aviv axis.

Location of the Gulf of Aden and the city of the same name in Yemen. Graphic: Wikipedia

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said today that attacks "aimed at preventing Israeli ships and cargo ships from reaching ports in the occupied Palestinian territory" would continue, despite last week's US and British air campaign.

Vu Anh (According to Reuters, Sky News )

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