A remote-controlled boat loaded with explosives crashed into an oil tanker while sailing off the coast of Yemena sign that Israeli airstrikes have not deterred the country’s Houthi militants from attacking commercial shipping.
The 900-foot ship was hit by an uncrewed surface ship 64 nautical miles northwest of the rebel-held port city of Hodeidah, the U.K.’s naval liaison in the region said on Twitter. The incident punctured a tank that contains water to keep the cargo ship stable when it is not carrying cargo.
Although British authorities did not identify the ship, a security expert with knowledge of the matter said it was the oil tanker Cordelia Moon. That would match the ship’s fingerprints. The ship was sailing back towards the Mediterranean, having recently delivered Russian oil to India.
The international maritime database Equasis shows that the manager of the Cordelia Moon is an Indian company called Margao Marine Solutions. An email to the company, the only means of contact listed, elicited no response. His insurer is unknown, according to a database maintained by S&P Global. The captain reported that the crew is safe and the ship is heading to its next port of call, the UK Maritime Trade Operations, which communicates with the merchant navy in the area.
Second attack
The Ukmto also reported a second attack, this time 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, against another ship: “The ship has been damaged. All crew are safe. The alleged attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels would be the first against commercial vessels in weeks. Israeli warplanes bombed a seaport and several power plants in Yemen, that country’s military said Sunday. The Houthis, part of a network of Islamist militant organizations backed by Iran, began attacking shipping in the Red Sea in late 2023 in response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
The rebels persisted in their attacks even after the United States and its allies launched airstrikes to deter them. Several shipping companies have chosen to send their ships on longer routes to avoid the area. Insurance costs have increased significantly.
