Naval forces issue explosion warning following Houthi attack
- Greek bulker hit by Houthi missile, says maritime risk management firm Vanguard Tech
- Vessel taking on water and crew has abandoned ship
- Houthis and vessel’s armed security team exchanged small arms fire, according to UKMTO
- First Houthi kinetic attack since December 2024
The crew of a Liberia-flagged, Greece-operated bulker was forced to abandon the vessel in the Red Sea after it was struck by a Houthi missile, security sources said on Sunday
EUROPEAN Naval forces operating in the Red Sea have warned vessels to avoid the area surrounding the Greece-operated bulker Magic Seas (IMO: 9736169), which was attacked by the Houthis on July 6.
A statement issued by EU Navfor’s Operation Aspides on Monday afternoon warned ship masters that “a risk of explosion may exist in the vicinity of the attacked vessel”. No further details were given regarding the nature of the risk, but Apides has issued coordinates for an area of caution to be avoided when transiting the Red Sea.
Earlier on Monday Yemen’s Houthis finally claimed responsibility for the attack against the Liberia-flagged vessel which the crew was forced to abandon in the Red Sea after it was struck by projectiles and began taking on water.
The vessel was attacked about 51 nautical miles off Hodeidah by several skiffs with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, according to the vessel’s technical manager, Greece-based Stem Shipping.
The vessel’s armed security team exchanged fire with the attackers.
According to maritime risk management company Vanguard Tech, the vessel suffered a direct strike from a Houthi missile, while a second missile hit the water.
There were 19 crew on board Magic Seas, plus three armed security personnel, Vanguard said.
The crew were rescued by a passing merchant vessel and all were “well and safe”, UKMTO said in an update later on Sunday.
The incident marks the first kinetic attack on commercial shipping by the Houthis since December 2024, when the Iran-backed militants twice attempted and failed to hit a US convoy in the Gulf of Aden with multiple projectiles.
The US and the Houthis agreed a ceasefire in early May, but the Yemeni faction said it would continue to target Israel-owned and -flagged vessels in the Red Sea.
On May 20, the Yemeni faction expanded that targeting profile, announcing a “maritime prohibition” on ships calling in the port of Haifa and threatening to attack ships of any company whose vessels called in the Israeli gateway.
Magic Seas is operated by Greece-based Allseas Marine, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence and Equasis.
Another vessel operated by Allseas has recently called in Israel, but not in Haifa, Automatic Identification System data showed.
This story has been updated to reflect the naval warning and that the crew were rescued by a passing vessel.
