A Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned ship was hit twice by missiles on Tuesday in the Red Sea off Yemen’s coast.
A private security firm reported that radio traffic suggested the ship began taking on water after the strikes.
No group claimed responsibility, but Yemen’s Houthi rebels, known for attacking ships due to Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza, are suspected.
The first attack on the bulk carrier Laax occurred near the port city of Hodeida in the southern Red Sea, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects to the Gulf of Aden.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center confirmed the ship sustained damage and reported an impact in the water near the vessel.
The crew was safe, and the ship continued to its next destination. Private security firm Ambrey noted that the ship reported damage to its cargo hold and was taking on water via radio.
Later that night, UKMTO reported a second missile attack causing further damage near Mokha in the Bab el-Mandeb.
The U.S. Central Command also identified the ship as the Laax, which was heading to Fujairah in the UAE.
Grehel Ship Management of Greece manages the Laax but declined to comment on the incident.
Meanwhile, Central Command stated it destroyed five Houthi drones over the Red Sea during the attacks.
The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack, which is typical as they often take hours or days to claim responsibility.
Recently, the Houthis have targeted shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding Israel stop the war in Gaza, which has resulted in over 36,000 Palestinian deaths since the conflict began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages.
