The crew of a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden abandoned ship after an attack claimed by Yemen’s rebel Houthi movement, authorities say.
A Houthi military spokesman said the Belize-flagged, British-registered cargo ship Rubymar was at risk of sinking after being hit by missiles.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said an unnamed ship was abandoned off Yemen after being damaged by a blast.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported that the Rubymar was hit by two missiles.
The Iran-backed Houthis have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November, in what they say is a show of support for the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The attacks have prompted many shipping companies to stop using the critical waterway, which accounts for about 12 per cent of global seaborne trade.
America and British forces began carrying out air strikes on targets across Houthi-controlled western Yemen in response last month.
