4 March 2024 (Lloyd's List) - HOUTHI militants have hit an MSC boxship traversing the Gulf of Aden.

The 1999-built, Liberia-flagged, 2,169 teu MSC Sky II (IMO: 9162277) was the subject of two missile attacks reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations 91 nautical miles southeast of Aden at 1250 hrs GMT.

The UKMTO said the ship's master reported two explosions. The first exploded a distance from the vessel's port quarter, while a second struck and damaged the ship. 

The crew are fighting fire and smoke on board. No casualties have been reported, UKMTO said.

According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, MSC Sky II's registered owner is Thorsky Navigation. The vessel's last Automatic Identification System tracker signal was sent at 1315 hrs.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group carried out an operation targeting what it called an "Israeli ship". 

He also claimed that the attack in the Arabian Sea used "a number of suitable naval missiles, and the hit was accurate and direct".

It came hours after Houthi forces launched missiles and drones at US warships in the Red Sea.

The latest Houthi strike comes after the group laid claim to its first vessel casualty since its missile bombardment in the Red Sea against commercial shipping in response to the war in Gaza.

The Belize-flagged bulker Rubymar (IMO: 9138898), which was hit by two Houthi missiles last month while transiting the Red Sea, finally sunk over the weekend.