The Red Sea corridor typically sees $US1 trillion ($1.52 trillion) of goods move through it annually.
CAIRO, July 6 (Reuters) – The crew of a ship set on fire in an attack in the Red Sea on Sunday abandoned the vessel as it took on water, a British maritime agency and a security firm said, in an assault that one of them said bore the hallmarks of the Houthi militant group.
The attack
The attack, off the southwest coast of Yemen, was the first such incident reported in the vital shipping corridor since mid-April.The firm later said the ship also had been attacked by bomb-carrying drone boats, which could mark a major escalation in the region.
Two drone boats
It said two drone boats struck the ship, while another two had been destroyed by the armed guards on board which they identified as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas, had taken on water after being hit by sea drone
More than 100 merchant vessels
The attacks greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $US1 trillion ($1.52 trillion) of goods move through it annually.
The Houthis paused their attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the US launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March.
That assault ended weeks later, and the Houthis haven’t attacked a vessel since — though they have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel.
Related : Houthis claim they will now limit Red Sea attacks to Israeli ships
