DUBAI – A dramatic situation unfolded on Saturday in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen, as a ship erupted in flames after being hit by a projectile. This alarming news was confirmed by the British military, who reported that the crew of the vessel appeared to be preparing to abandon ship following the attack.

Recent tensions in the region have seen Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching assaults on vessels navigating the Red Sea corridor. Although the rebels have not yet claimed responsibility for this incident, it is not uncommon for them to delay such declarations for several hours or even days.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center released an alert regarding the incident, pinpointing the location approximately 210 kilometers (130 miles) east of the port city of Aden. The statement from UKMTO noted, “A vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile, resulting in a fire. Authorities are currently investigating the matter.”

Further details emerged from the maritime security firm Ambrey, which identified the compromised ship as a Cameroon-flagged tanker. The vessel was reportedly on a journey from Sohar, Oman, heading towards Djibouti. Ambrey added that radio communications indicated the crew was preparing to leave the ship, with search-and-rescue operations being swiftly initiated.

The maritime security firm Ambrey described the ship as a Cameroon-flagged tanker that was “en route from Sohar, Oman, to Djibouti.” It said radio traffic suggested the crew was preparing to abandon ship and a search-and-rescue effort was underway.

Details offered about the ship appeared to correspond to the Falcon, a Cameroon-flagged tanker that carries liquefied petroleum gas. The Falcon previously had been identified by United Against Nuclear Iran, a New York-based pressure group, as operating allegedly in an Iranian “ghost fleet” of ships moving their oil products in the high seas despite international sanctions. The ship’s owners and operators, listed as being in India, could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Houthis have gained international prominence during the Israel-Hamas war over their attacks on shipping and Israel, which they said were aimed at forcing Israel to stop fighting. Since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, no attacks have been claimed by the rebel group.

The Houthi campaign against shipping has killed at least nine mariners and seen four ships sunk. It upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods passed each year before the war. The rebels’ most recent attack hit the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht on Sept. 29, killing one crew member on board and wounding another.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have increasingly threatened Saudi Arabia and taken dozens of workers at United Nations agencies and other aid groups as prisoners, alleging without evidence they were spies — something fiercely denied by the world body and others.