Rebels Hit Oil Tanker With Missile

A missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen struck an oil tanker traveling in the Indian Ocean last week, causing significant damage. The attack comes as many commercial vessels are rerouting around the Suez Canal rather than risk being fired on.

The Houthi projectile struck the MT Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday. The British-owned vessel is carrying petroleum products. The ballistic missile hit resulted in a fire on the ship, requiring the assistance of the Indian Navy.

Extinguishing the fire took significant assistance, but with the help of ten members of the Indian Navy, the fire was put out. The French Navy also helped to put out the potentially catastrophic fire.

The extent of the damage and the fire forced the crew of the MT Marlin Luanda to initially abandon ship.

Furthermore, two other civilian American ships turned around on approach to the Red Sea due to fire from the Houthis. During the attack, an American destroyer shot down two of the missiles fired at the ship. One missile fell into the sea.

The Fire onboard the Marshall Islands-Flagged Chemical Tanker, M/T Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden has now been Successfully Extinguished by Firefighting Crews with the Indian Navy. https://t.co/wXxqiGCQzT

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 27, 2024

In addition, the rebels also fired a missile at an American Warship near the Red Sea last week. The projectile was shot down by the U.S. Navy.

The Houthis have launched a number of attacks on American, British and French military ships over the past four months. None of the attempts have resulted in any military injuries or deaths.

The strike on the tanker is the most damaging result of several dozen rocket and drone attacks on civilian and military vessels. The Houthi rebels have also hijacked a ship linked to an Israeli businessman and taken its crew of 25 as hostages.

The attacks by the rebels began after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas last year. The rebels are backed by Iran, as is the Hamas terrorist group that launched the attack which killed more than 1,200 last year. The Houthis are engaged in a civil war against Yemen’s internationally-recognized government.