Dutch-flagged Cargo Ship Attacked, Houthi Allegedly Perpetrator

Socotra, Yemen/ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Andrew Svk

JAKARTA - Britain's maritime security company, Ambrey, said a Dutch-flagged public cargo ship was reportedly attacked by 120 nautical miles southeast of the port city of Aden, Yemen.

The UK Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) also said the military authorities reported a ship located 128 nautical miles from off the coast of Aden, was hit by an unidentified projectile and reportedly on fire.

Reported by Reuters on Monday, September 29, UKMTO and Ambrey said they received reports of smoke around the ship, while UKMTO said the ship's captain reported watching sparks in the distance.

"When the attack occurred, the ship did not emit an automatic identification system (AIS)," added Ambrey.

The ship was previously targeted on September 23 on its way to Djibouti, according to Ambrey.

UKMTO said on September 23, the ship reported sparks and explosions in the vicinity, 120 nautical miles (222 km) east of Aden.

The two companies did not identify the responsible party.

It was not immediately clear whether the reported attack was carried out by Yemen's Houthis allied with Iran, which have launched various attacks on ships in the Red Sea since 2023 which they deem to be linked to Israel in what they call solidarity with the Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza.