Houthis hit oil tanker in the Red Sea

(Patria) - Last night, Houthis hit an oil tanker with an anti-ship missile in the Gulf of Aden, the ship operator said, BBC reported.

The Houthis announced that they targeted the ship Marlin Luanda on Friday evening.

Operator Trafigura told the BBC that the attack caused a fire in one of the ship's cargo tanks and that firefighting equipment was used to combat it. US officials told CBS that the tanker was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile and that a naval vessel responded to a distress signal. There are no reports of injuries, US officials said.

This is the latest Houthi attack on commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea.

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident occurred 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden. UKMTO said warships were present and assisted the ship, adding that the crew is safe.

Trafigura confirmed that the ship was hit and that warships were en route to provide assistance. The oil tanker is registered in the Marshall Islands.