Another ship has been attacked in the Red Sea. A fire is said to have broken out on board the “Al Jasrah” belonging to the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks in the Red Sea.
A container ship belonging to the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd came under fire in the Red Sea. The “Al Jasrah” was damaged in the attack in the strait between Yemen and Djibouti, and there were no injuries, a spokesman for the Hamburg shipping company told the dpa news agency. Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to ensure the safety of crews, it said. The “Al Jasrah” sails under the Liberian flag.
Freighter heading to Singapore
According to the information, the freighter had sailed from Piraeus in Greece through the Suez Canal and was heading towards Singapore. “There is material damage on board, the crew is unharmed,” said the spokesman. He was unable to provide details of the damage. The ship could continue its journey. According to media reports, there was a fire on board after the shelling.
Pentagon: Shelling came from Yemen
A US Defense Department official said the freighter was hit by a missile fired from a region of Yemen controlled by the Houthi militia.
Private intelligence firm Ambrey said the ship was traveling south along the Bab al-Mandab Strait when it was hit. Accordingly, the projectile hit the port side of the ship and a container fell overboard due to the impact. However, the shipping company did not confirm this information.
The container freighter “Al Jasrah” at the Burchardkai terminal in the port of Hamburg. At the time of the attack, the ship was en route to Singapore.
It was unclear whether the projectile was a drone or a missile. Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors shipping lanes in the Middle East, also confirmed the attack and urged ships in the region to be vigilant.
Several attacks on ships in the Red Sea
The incident was the latest in a series of attacks in the Red Sea and the strategic Bab el-Mandab Strait attributed to Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis had announced that they would block the path of ships with connections to Israel out of solidarity with the militant Islamist Hamas, which is also supported by Iran. There was no statement from the Houthis about the attack on Al Jasrah.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is only 29 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. Almost 10 percent of the oil transported by sea passes through the site, as well as an estimated $1 trillion worth of trade goods annually.
Tilo Spanhel, ARD Cairo, tagesschau, December 15, 2023 12:08 p.m