Houthis attacked Singapore-flagged vessel in Gulf of Aden

Singapore: A Singapore-flagged vessel was damaged in an attack allegedly by Houthi militants southeast of Yemen on Friday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.

The MPA said it was informed that container vessel the LOBIVIA was hit by "unidentified projectiles" while transiting the Gulf of Aden, resulting in a fire onboard that was subsequently extinguished by the crew.

There are no Singaporeans among the crew, Channel News Asia reported, citing the authority and adding that all crew are accounted for and safe.

Despite being hit, the vessel was able to set sail and arrived at Somalia's Berbera Port. Damage assessment and repairs, if needed, will be carried out, it said.

MPA said it is in contact with the vessel manager to provide any assistance that might be needed. The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has also alerted its security partners in the Gulf of Aden region to provide help, it added.

In a televised speech, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the group had launched ballistic missiles and drones towards the LOBIVIA.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the LOBIVIA was hit about 83 nautical miles southeast of the port city of Aden, Yemen, on two separate occasions by two missiles.

"The ship was transiting northeast along the Gulf of Aden when a merchant vessel in the vicinity observed 'light and blast' where the ship was located," Channel News Asia had British security firm Ambrey as saying.

Ambrey said the ship appeared to perform evasive manoeuvres immediately and switched off its automatic identification system approximately an hour later.

Since November, Houthi militants in Yemen have launched drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The group has said its actions are in solidarity with Palestinians affected by Israel's war in Gaza.

The group has sunk two vessels and seized another, killed at least three sailors and severely disrupted global trade by forcing ship owners to avoid the Suez Canal trade shortcut.

On Tuesday, Liberia-flagged oil tanker Chios Lion was forced to turn back to assess damage and investigate a potential oil spill after being attacked by the group in the Red Sea. Britain and the US have conducted retaliatory strikes since February, shooting down drones and bombing attack sites in Yemen.