The Houthis claimed responsibility on Wednesday for another attack on a Saudi oil tanker, as the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also reported a separate explosion near a tanker in the Gulf of Aden and confirmed new details surrounding the sinking of an Indian cargo vessel off Yemen.
In a statement posted on X, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group fired several ballistic missiles at the Saudi tanker Wafa in the northern Red Sea off Yanbu. The Houthis said the strike formed part of their self-declared maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, claiming Wafa was the eighth Saudi oil tanker targeted since the campaign began in late July.
They also alleged that 29 Saudi tankers had been forced to turn back in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. The group vowed to intensify attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea, saying the campaign was aimed at cutting off the kingdom’s remaining maritime access after shipping traffic shifted away from the Bab el-Mandeb.
Saudi authorities have not commented on the claim. In a separate advisory, UKMTO said a tanker about 95 nautical miles south-east of Aden reported hearing a loud explosion close to the vessel. All crew were safe, with no immediate reports of damage or pollution.
The incident remains under investigation. The advisory followed Tuesday’s sinking of the Indian mechanised sailing vessel Faize Noore Oliya. UKMTO confirmed the vessel was attacked on Monday by an uncrewed surface vessel around nine nautical miles south-west of Al Mukha, triggering a fire before it sank.
All crew members were rescued by local authorities and reported safe. India condemned the attack, with Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirming that all 14 crew members, including 13 Indian nationals, were rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard.