Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd shipping company said that its Liberian-flagged vessel “Al Jasrah” was damaged after being shot at by an unknown projectile in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea on Friday.
A Hapag-Lloyd spokesperson said no injuries were reported, adding the company will “take additional measures to secure the safety of our crews.” The spokesperson added that the vessel departed from the Greek port of Piraeus en route to Singapore.
What do we know about the attack?
UK-based maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel sustained physical damage from a projectile, which caused a “fire onboard.”
“The projectile reportedly hit the port side of the vessel and one container fell overboard due to the impact,” Ambrey said.
A US Defense Department spokesperson told AFP news agency that an unknown projectile was launched at the vessel from a “Houthi-controlled” region of Yemen.
Yemen’s Houthis target Red Sea shipping
Iran-backed, Yemen-based Houthi rebels have increased attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea in recent weeks.
The attacks come as a proxy response to Israel’s continued war in Gaza against the Tehran-backed Islamist militant group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the EU, US and several countries.
The Houthis have said they will target any ships traveling to Israel, and are now launching near daily attacks, although most are unsuccessful, and are targeting vessels traversing the Red Sea with little or no connection to Israel.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the assault on the Al Jasrah Friday.
Speaking in Tel Aviv, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said: “While the Houthis are pulling the trigger, so to speak, they’re being handed the gun by Iran.”
