British military says ship ablaze after being struck off coast of Yemen in Gulf of Aden

A ship caught fire Saturday in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen after being struck by a projectile, the British military said.

The incident comes as Yemen's Houthi rebels have been attacking ships through the Red Sea corridor. However, the rebels did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take them hours or even days to do so.

The maritime security firm Ambrey described the ship as a 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.