A vessel reportedly caught fire after being hit by a projectile in the Red Sea
Yemen’s Houthis said they had struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea in the first such attack since the Iran-backed militant group declared a naval blockade of the kingdom.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Wednesday that the group had targeted the Saudi-flagged vessels Encelia and Layla with missiles and drones. He added that around ten ships had changed course since the blockade was formally imposed on Monday.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations coordination center, a vessel reported catching fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile around 130km from Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia. There were no reports of casualties.
A video posted on social media appears to show a large fire aboard a ship.
BIG: First Saudi oil tanker reportedly hit by Houthi missile near Yemen, engulfed in flames. pic.twitter.com/R3nG7FSdW1
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The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) later cited a source at the kingdom’s Transport General Authority as confirming that the Encelia caught fire after being struck. The source said that all crew members were safe.
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July 23, 2026 at 08:25AM
RT