Seatrade-Maritime: Unmanned cargo ship destroyed off Yemen

Published by Seatrade-Maritime

A vessel struck by multiple unknown projectiles in the southern Red Sea is a complete constructive loss due to the damage inflicted, according to UKMTO.

Local authorities reported the incident around 40 nm southeast of Al Mokha, Yemen, occurred at 1100 hrs on 17 August.

The UKMTO warning did not provide further details on the ship, which it said was unmanned, but advised vessels to transit with caution.

Traffic levels through the southern Red Sea and Bab el Mandeb Strait have been lower since the Houthi announced a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping on 20 July. The blockade announcement was followed with multiple attacks on ships in the region, including the deadly attack on Tihamah earlier this month, also off Al Mokha port.

“Following over 25 cumulative missile impacts and berth fires, Al-Mokha Port remains completely closed to commercial traffic, forcing remaining lower Red Sea commercial logistics to reroute,” said JMIC.

The latest advisory note from JMIC put the threat to shipping in Bab-el Mandeb and the southern Red Sea as substantial, while the threat over in the Strait of Hormuz remains severe.

Attacks on shipping on 17-18 August highlight the multiple threats to vessels in the waters around the Middle East. On 17 August cargo ship Lutuf was hijacked by eight armed pirates of Somalia, then on 18 August a seafarer was killed when bulker Minoan Dignity was hit in the Strait of Hormuz.