Crews safe, fire extinguished on British oil tanker after Houthi rebel attack

Simon Druker & Ehren Wynder
·4 min read
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All crew members are safe and fires have been extinguished aboard the Marlin Luanda, a British oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden that was hit it with a missile by Houthi rebels, the vessel's operator confirmed Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Indian Navy/X
All crew members are safe and fires have been extinguished aboard the Marlin Luanda, a British oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden that was hit it with a missile by Houthi rebels, the vessel's operator confirmed Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Indian Navy/X

Jan. 26 (UPI) -- All crew members are safe and fires have been extinguished aboard a British oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden that was hit it with a missile by Houthi rebels, the vessel's operator confirmed on Saturday.

"We are pleased to confirm that all crew on board the Marlin Luanda are safe and the fire in the cargo tank has been fully extinguished. The vessel is now sailing towards a safe harbor. The crew continues to monitor the vessel and cargo closely," operator Trafigura said in a statement.

The multinational trading company based Singapore also thanked the Indian, French and U.S. Navy vessels that attended for their assistance. It did not say how many crew members were aboard or their nationalities.

Houthi rebels based in Yemen struck the Marlin Luanda Friday as the The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker was sailing east through the Gulf of Aden, signaling its destination as Singapore.

The Marlin Luanda is now sailing towards a safe harbor while the crew continues to monitor the vessel and cargo closely, its Singapore-based operator Trafigura said in a statement Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Indian Navy
The Marlin Luanda is now sailing towards a safe harbor while the crew continues to monitor the vessel and cargo closely, its Singapore-based operator Trafigura said in a statement Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Indian Navy

The Marlin Luanda was built in 2018 to carry crude oil and is owned by Britain-based Oceonix Services.

U.K. Maritime Organizations said it received a report the vessel was on fire and requesting assistance some 60 nautical miles south of the Port of Aden in Yemen.

Houthi rebels based in Yemen on Friday launched an attack on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (pictured 2016) in the Red Sea, the latest salvo in the ongoing conflict. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy
Houthi rebels based in Yemen on Friday launched an attack on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (pictured 2016) in the Red Sea, the latest salvo in the ongoing conflict. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

No other Trafigura vessels are transiting the Red Sea, the company confirmed in the statement Saturday.

Houthi military spokesperson Yaha Sarea confirmed Friday his group targeted the vessel with "a number of appropriate naval missiles."

Crews on the USS Carney (pictured 2016) were able to successfully shoot down the missile and there were no injuries or damage reported, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy
Crews on the USS Carney (pictured 2016) were able to successfully shoot down the missile and there were no injuries or damage reported, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

"Yemeni Armed Forces persist with their military operations: enforcing a blockade on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian seas until a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza, and food and medicine are allowed in to the besieged Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," he said in a video statement.

This was the second reported Houthi attack against a commercial tanker Friday. Earlier in the day, the Marlin Luanda reported an explosion in the air above the Achilles, an oil tanker reportedly under contract to an Indian shipper. The projectile did not hit either tanker.

Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at the USS Carney (pictured 2016). File Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy
Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at the USS Carney (pictured 2016). File Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have threatened to target ships linked to the United States and Britain after the two countries launched air and naval strikes in retaliation for their attacks on commercial vessels.

U.S. Central Command confirmed Friday morning that Houthi rebels also launched an attack on the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

"At approximately 1:30 p.m. Sanaa time (5:30 a.m. EST), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Carney in the Gulf of Aden," U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

"The missile was successfully shot down by USS Carney. There were no injuries or damage reported."

The military did not provide any further information. However this would be the first reported time Houthis have targeted a U.S. military vessel rather than a commercial vessel.

The attack comes one day after the United States and Britain announced formal sanctions targeted at four Houthi leaders.

The Iran-backed group began hostilities Nov. 19, with more than 27 attacks against ships since that time.

American and British military forces have since launched a series of retaliatory missile and drone strikes in Yemen against the Houthi group.

More than a dozen shipping companies have rerouted their vessels to avoid being targeted.