Houthis firing missiles at a container ship as an oil tanker burns

Two missiles suspected to have been fired by Yemen’s Houthis targeted a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden late Friday, splashing down nearby without causing any damage, authorities said.

The attack Friday saw two missiles “exploding in close proximity to the vessel” some 240 kilometers (150 miles) east of Aden, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

The ship “reports all crew are safe and proceeding to next port of call,” the UKMTO said. “Investigations are ongoing.”

The Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational body overseen by the US Navy, on Saturday identified the vessel targeted as the Liberian-flagged container ship Groton. The Groton came under attack Aug. 3 as well in a similar Houthi assault off Aden that included two missiles fired at the vessel, with one causing minor damage.

The ship “was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making recent port calls in Israel,” the center said.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a United States-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.