Merchant Vessel Escapes Missile Attack in Arabian Sea: Safety Concerns Raised

A merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea experienced an explosion in close proximity on Monday, as reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Fortunately, the crew was unharmed, and the vessel continued on to its next port of call. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) later identified the vessel as the Liberian-flagged container MSC SARAH V, stating that it had been targeted by a missile attack while navigating the Arabian Sea, but the missile did not hit the vessel.

The incident took place 246 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Nishtun, with the missile landing in the water just 50 meters off the starboard side of the ship, according to JMIC. The attack was believed to be motivated by the vessel’s perceived association with Israel, as noted by JMIC. The Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen has been carrying out drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes since November, claiming to support Palestinians in the conflict with Israel.

In previous attacks, the Houthis have sunk two vessels, seized another, and caused the death of at least three seafarers. Despite these actions, there has been no immediate comment from the Houthis regarding the recent incident. The ongoing attacks in the region have raised concerns about the safety of maritime activities in the area, highlighting the need for increased security measures to protect vessels and their crews.

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