British Maritime Trade Operations reported today that it "received a report indicating that the crew of a ship currently heading towards Somalia has lost control." The agency identified the ship's location near the Arabian Sea and the Yemeni island of Socotra. In an advisory note, they stated, "Currently, all crew members are reported to be safe." The European Union's anti-piracy force from Somalia indicated that "a Spanish naval ship is sailing at full speed toward a commercial vessel that may have been hijacked by pirates." They added in a statement to Reuters: "Based on the initial information available about the ship 'MV Roin', the Spanish ship Victoria, leading the Atalanta operation under EUNAVFOR, is rapidly approaching the vessel reported to be hijacked to gather more information and assess next steps." It reported that it is "coordinating with the broader international maritime coalition."
In this context, a U.S. defense official announced that "a projectile fired from an area controlled by the Houthis in Yemen struck the Al-Jasra ship, which flies the Liberian flag and is owned by a German company today, causing a fire but no injuries." He noted that "it is believed that a drone hit the Al-Jasra." A spokesperson for the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd stated that "the ship was attacked while navigating near the Yemeni coast," adding, "Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to ensure the safety of our crews" without providing further comments.
