LONDON (Reuters) – Container ship MSC Sky II was continuing its voyage to Djibouti on Tuesday after being hit by a missile a day earlier near Yemen’s port city of Aden, its operator MSC said.
MSC Sky II was hit by a missile about 85 miles southeast of Aden and 170 miles east-southeast of the Bab al-Mandab Strait while it was sailing from Singapore to Djibouti, the Swiss-headquartered MSC said in a statement.
“The missile caused a small fire that has been extinguished while no crew were injured. She is currently continuing her journey to Djibouti and will arrive today for further assessment,” it said.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Yemeni Houthi forces had attacked the Liberian-flagged MSC Sky II while it was en route to Djibouti.
“I am not aware that either Switzerland, Liberia or Djibouti have ever participated in any way in the ongoing conflict in Gaza,” Crosetto said on X.
The attack is among the latest strikes by the Iran-aligned Houthis which have escalated since November. The Houthis have said they are targeting commercial ships in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
While the militia has said it would attack vessels with links to the United Kingdom, the United States and Israel, shipping industry sources said all ships were at risk.
MSC, one of the world’s top container shipping groups, said on Dec. 26 that the MSC UNITED VIII was attacked while sailing through the Red Sea.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, additionl reporting by Gianluca Semeraro in Milan; Editing by Alex Richardson and Angus MacSwan)
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