Chinese-owned tanker hit by Houthi missiles in Red Sea – days after China told its ships are safe
- Houthi rebels launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea near the Huang Pu before a fifth hit the vessel, the US Central Command said
- ‘The Houthis attacked the MV Huang despite previously stating they would not attack Chinese vessels,’ the US military said in a statement
The Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned and operated Huang Pu issued a distress call on Saturday but did not request assistance, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on social media platform X early on Sunday.
“No casualties were reported, and the vessel resumed its course,” the statement said.
CENTCOM and the British Navy’s United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a fire had broken out on board the ship but was extinguished within 30 minutes.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which UKMTO said struck 23 nautical miles west of the Yemeni port of Mokha.
CENTCOM said Houthi rebels had launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea near the Huang Pu before a fifth hit the vessel.
According to Ambrey, “the tanker’s registration details, including name and operator, had been changed as recently as February 2024”.
It had been registered in 2019 by British firm Union Maritime Ltd, Ambrey said, and another vessel affiliated with the same company had previously been targeted by the Houthis.
The Houthis have vowed to target Israeli, British and US ships, as well as vessels heading to Israeli ports, disrupting traffic along the vital trade route.
US and UK launch new wave of strikes on Houthis over continued Red Sea attacks
CENTCOM said that, following the attack on the Huang Pu, US forces engaged six drones launched by the Houthis, five of which crashed into the Red Sea.
The sixth flew into a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, it said.