A Cameroon-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, the MV Falcon, erupted in flames following an explosion in the Gulf of Aden, raising fresh alarms over maritime security in the waterway off Yemen's southern coast.
The incident occurred on Saturday, approximately 60 nautical miles (110km) south of Ahwar, according to UK maritime security firm Ambrey. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the vessel had been "hit by an unknown projectile, resulting in a fire", adding that "authorities are investigating".
Ambrey said the ship was sailing from Sohar, Oman, to Djibouti, noting that it did not fall into the category of vessels typically targeted by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the region.
The European Union's naval task force, Aspides, said the explosion's cause remained unclear, with initial reports indicating 15% of the vessel had been engulfed in fire. Rescue workers saved 24 of the vessel’s 26 crew members. Two remain missing.
A Houthi official from Yemen's Ministry of Defence denied any involvement, telling the Saba news agency the group had no connection to the incident.
The Houthis have waged a campaign of ship attacks in the Red Sea corridor since late 2023, framing it as solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's war on Gaza. These assaults have targeted vessels linked to Israel or its allies, disrupting flows through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
No Houthi-claimed attacks have occurred since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza on October 10. The group's last strike hit the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht on September 29, killing one crew member and injuring another. Overall, the campaign has claimed at least nine mariners' lives and sunk four vessels.
Tensions have escalated, with Israel striking Houthi targets in Yemen, killing dozens of civilians. The Houthis have fired missiles at Israel, some breaching US-supplied defences and causing injuries and airport disruptions.
On Thursday, Israel claimed responsibility for killing Houthi chief of staff Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari. The group vowed the conflict persisted, warning that Israel would "receive its deterrent punishment for the crimes it has committed".
In August, Israeli air strikes on Sanaa targeted senior Houthi figures, including al-Ghamari, killing Yemen's Houthi-run government's prime minister and several ministers.
Source: Al Jazeera
