Suspected Houthi attacks hit two ships near burning oil tanker in Red Sea

Two ships were struck by suspected Houthi attacks in the Red Sea on Monday, near the site where efforts are underway to rescue a Greek oil tanker damaged in an earlier attack by the Iran-backed militia.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the first attack involved two projectiles hitting one ship, followed by a third explosion nearby.

According to a report by Agence France-Presse, the timing and coordinates of the attack align with the route of the Panama-flagged oil tanker ‘Blue Lagoon 1’, which was sailing south through the Red Sea carrying Russian oil after departing from the Baltic port of Ust-Luga.

In recent months, Blue Lagoon 1 has made multiple trips to India, which relies on Russia for more than 40% of its oil needs, despite Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine and international sanctions.

In another incident, a Houthi drone reportedly targeted a commercial vessel near the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, according to reports from British security firm Ambrey.

Later reporting by Reuters identified the second ship as the Saudi-owned crude oil supertanker, ‘Amjad’, which is capable of carrying 2 million barrels.

The Amjad was reportedly sailing in waters close to Blue Lagoon 1. No damage or casualties were reported in the attacks on either ship.

The Houthi group has not yet claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, which are part of a  maritime campaign it has conducted since November 2023, during which dozens of commercial vessels have been targeted.

The group typically takes hours or even days to claim responsibility for such incidents.

These attacks occurred as the region is grappling with efforts to rescue the Greek oil tanker ‘Sounion’, which was on fire following an earlier Houthi attack.

The Sounion was carrying nearly 1 million barrels of oil when it was attacked on August 21 using small arms, projectiles and a drone boat. The ship’s crew, consisting of 25 Filipinos and Russians, along with four private security personnel, were rescued by a French destroyer under the EU’s Operation Aspides and taken to Djibouti by helicopter. Last week, the Houthis released footage showing themselves planting explosives on the tanker and detonating them. The group’s leader, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, boasted about the attack in a video address on Thursday.