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Crew Battle Blaze on Tanker Hit by Missile in Gulf of Aden

A tribesman loyal to the Houthis mans a machine gun on a vehicle during an anti-US and anti-Israel protest, on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, 25 January 2024. (EPA)
A tribesman loyal to the Houthis mans a machine gun on a vehicle during an anti-US and anti-Israel protest, on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, 25 January 2024. (EPA)
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Crew Battle Blaze on Tanker Hit by Missile in Gulf of Aden

A tribesman loyal to the Houthis mans a machine gun on a vehicle during an anti-US and anti-Israel protest, on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, 25 January 2024. (EPA)
A tribesman loyal to the Houthis mans a machine gun on a vehicle during an anti-US and anti-Israel protest, on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, 25 January 2024. (EPA)

The tanker Marlin Luanda was on fire but no deaths or injuries were reported after the vessel was struck by a Houthi anti-ship missile in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, commodities trader Trafigura and the US military reported.

"Firefighting equipment on board is being deployed to suppress and control the fire caused in one cargo tank on the starboard side," Trafigura said in a statement, adding it was in contact with the petroleum products tanker.

The US military said earlier that a US Navy ship and other vessels were providing assistance after the Marlin Luanda was hit by a Houthi anti-ship missile.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Marlin Luanda issued a distress call and reported damage, US Central Command said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The USS Carney and other coalition ships were providing assistance to the tanker, it said.

About eight hours later, the US military destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Red Sea and ready to launch, Central Command said.

The missile "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region," it said.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels since Nov. 19, in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza.

Some shipping companies have suspended transits through the Red Sea and taken much longer, costlier journeys around Africa.

US and British warplanes, ships and submarines have launched dozens of retaliatory airstrikes across Yemen against the Houthis.

The Houthis’ Al-Masira television said on Saturday that the United States and Britain launched two airstrikes that targeted the port of Ras Issa, Yemen's main oil export terminal.

It was not clear if this was the strike referred to by Central Command, and the US Fifth Fleet did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The British Defense Ministry declined to comment.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.