(MENAFN- Live Mint) The British military has said that a ship caught fire on Saturday in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen after being struck by a projectile.

One report has also suggested that the crew was preparing to abandon the vessel after the fire, as per Associated Press. A search and rescue operation is underway.

“A vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile, resulting with a fire,” the UKMTO said, as per AP, adding, "Authorities are investigating.”

Also Read | How the Houthis rattled the US Navy-and transformed maritime war

The ship has been described as a Cameroon-flagged tanker“en route from Sohar, Oman, to Djibouti” by maritime security firm Ambrey.

Details about the ship

Details about the ship appeared to correspond to the Falcon, a Cameroon-flagged tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas. A New York-based pressure group, United Against Nuclear Iran, had earlier flagged this ship as one operating as part of Iran's 'ghost fleet' of ships which transport petroleum products from the country despite international sanctions.

Who are the Houthis? Why are they attacking ships in the Red Sea corridor?

The Houthis are a Zaydi Islamist group that grew to prominence in Yemen in the 1990s. Their name comes from the al-Houthi family, who are its leaders.

The Houthis gained international prominence during the Israel-Hamas war over their attacks on shipping and Israel, which they said were aimed at forcing Israel to stop fighting. Since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, no attacks have been claimed by the rebel group.

The Houthis' attacks on ships has resulted in the death of at least nine mariners, while four vessels have sunk. Their constant attacks have affected world trade, since goods worth around $1 trillion passed through the Red Sea corridor each year before the war. Their latest attack was the utch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht on Sept. 29, in which one crew member on board was killed and another was wounded.

Also Read | Trump says Israeli forces will re-enter Gaza if Hamas breaks ceasefire

Meanwhile, the Houthis have increasingly threatened Saudi Arabia and taken dozens of workers at United Nations agencies and other aid groups as prisoners, alleging without evidence they were spies - something fiercely denied by the world body and others.

Houthis' Chief of staff dead

An Israeli aistrike which targetted the top leaders of Houthi rebels, which was launched in August, has resulted in the death of the chief of staff of its military.

The death of Maj. Gen. Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, who was sanctioned by the United Nations for his role in Yemen's decade-long war, was acknowledged by the Houthis.

Both Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the death of al-Ghamari, which Katz saying that he has now joined "his fellow members of the axis of evil in the depths of hell".

The strike, that took place on August 28, had killed the Houthi Prime Minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, along with a few others. As per AP, analysts suggested that al-Ghamari might have been wounded in a different attack.

With AP inputs

MENAFN18102025007365015876ID1110214680