A Liberian-flagged ship caught fire in the Red Sea early Friday morning after allegedly being hit by a Houthi-launched projectile.
The fire, first reported by the Associated Press, comes a day after Houthis attempted to board and reroute Maersk Gibraltar before firing missiles at it. USS Mason (DDG-87) shot down a Houthi-launched drone while responding to Gibraltar‘s distress call, USNI News reported.
According to the Associated Press, the British intelligence firm Ambrey confirmed the missile hit on the container ship, saying a projectile hit the ship’s left side, causing a container to fall overboard and a fire on the deck.
Associated Press identified the ship as the container ship Al Jasrah. It is not immediately clear if the ship was planning to make a port call in Israel. The Houthis have said they will attack any ship linked to Israel or heading to or from the country.
Vessel Finder, which uses automatic identification system to track ships, lists Al Jasrah as heading to Singapore from Egypt. The container ship is owned by German shipping company Hapag Lloyd, which has an office in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Houthis have not yet claimed the attack on Al Jasrah.
This story will be updated.
