| Date: 08 August 2024 at 1700 UTC | Position: 12° 32’N 043° 27’E |
|
Location: Approximately 45nm south of Al Mukha in the Bab el Mandeb Strait |
|
Incident Details
UKMTO has released details of a complex incident involving an attack on a vessel by the Houthi, initially, in the Bab el Mandeb Strait. The incident report (a) stated the Master reported being attacked by 2 small craft, white and black in colour which resulted in an RPG exploding close to the vessel. At 2245 UTC (b), the same ship was attacked by a missile that exploded close to the ship. At 0340 UTC 09 Aug, the ship was targeted by an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) also known as a Water Borne Improvised Explosive Device (WBIED). The ship’s Armed Security Team (AST) fired upon the USV, which then exploded a distance from the vessel. The vessel reported a fourth attack at 0557UTC when a missile splashed into the sea close to the ship’s side. The crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to the next port of call.
Comment
Unconfirmed reports state the vessel attacked was the Liberian-flagged Tanker, DELTA BLUE, it is not clear at this point if the ship was specifically targeted due to its ownership or trading connections.
Assessment
The intensity of this prolonged attack would indicate the vessel is likely to have affiliation to Israel whether by ownership or recent trading activity. The presence of an AST and the destruction of the incoming USV prove the value of having armed security embarked to mitigate against some of the threats faced in this region. This is the second USV destroyed by an AST in the last month.
