The crew of a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden has abandoned the ship after being attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, authorities said.
A Houthi military spokesman said the Belizean and British-flagged cargo ship Rubimaa was hit by a missile and was at risk of sinking.
Britain’s Maritime and Trade Services Authority says an unnamed ship has been abandoned off the coast of Yemen after being damaged in an explosion.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence reports that the Rubimar has been hit by two missiles.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have launched dozens of rocket and drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November, an attack that has left the Palestinians in a war with Israel.
They claim that it is a show of support for the Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The attack forced many shipping companies to suspend use of the vital waterway, which accounts for about 12% of global maritime trade.
US and British forces responded last month by launching airstrikes against targets across Houthi-held western Yemen.