Aden (South24 Center)

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A Cameroonian-flagged commercial vessel caught fire on Saturday, October 18, in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen’s Abyan coast after possibly being struck by a projectile, according to the Associated Press and Reuters. The ship, identified as the Falcon, was carrying liquefied petroleum gas when the blaze erupted. Most of the 26-member crew abandoned the vessel, while one sailor remains missing and another is believed to still be on board.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said that “a vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile, resulting with a fire,” noting that the incident occurred about 210 kilometers (130 miles) east of Aden. It added that “authorities are investigating.”

The European Union’s naval mission Operation Aspides reported that the Falcon’s crew consisted of 25 Indians and one Ukrainian. The Greek frigate HS Spetsai was operating nearby, and a French aircraft was dispatched to the area. The EU force said that “initial indications suggest that around 15 percent of the ship is on fire and that the blaze may have been caused by an accident,” though investigations are still underway.

The Associated Press cited the U.S.-based watchdog United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which had previously identified the Falcon as part of Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet”—a network of ships used to move oil and gas covertly in violation of international sanctions.

There has been no immediate comment from the vessel’s owners or operators, reported to be based in India. The Israeli military confirmed it was aware of the incident but denied conducting any operations in the area.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia, which has carried out numerous attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since late 2023, has not claimed responsibility for this incident so far, though the group often delays its acknowledgments by hours or even days.

The fire marks the latest in a series of maritime incidents linked to the Houthi campaign against commercial shipping, which began amid the Israel-Hamas war. These attacks have killed at least nine mariners and sunk four vessels, severely disrupting one of the world’s busiest trade corridors.

The most recent documented attack before Saturday’s took place on September 29, when the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht was struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden, killing one crew member and injuring another.

Although Houthi maritime activity had calmed following the October 10 Gaza ceasefire, Saturday’s incident has reignited fears of renewed hostilities at sea.

British and EU maritime authorities have warned ships transiting the region that the fully loaded gas tanker poses a risk of explosion. Coordination is underway with coalition naval forces and regional agencies to assess the damage, contain the situation, and conduct search-and-rescue operations.