Hapag-Lloyd vessel damaged in Red Sea after being shot at by unknown projectile

Shafaq News/ Germany's Hapag-Lloyd shipping company reported that its Liberian-flagged vessel, "Al Jasrah," sustained damage after being shot at by an unknown projectile in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea on Friday.

No injuries were reported, and the company said it would implement additional safety measures for its crews. The vessel departed from the Greek port of Piraeus en route to Singapore and experienced physical damage and a resulting onboard fire from the projectile.

Maritime security company Ambrey confirmed the incident, noting that the projectile hit the vessel's port side, causing one container to fall overboard. The U.S. Defense Department revealed that the unknown projectile was launched from a "Houthi-controlled" region of Yemen.

The Iran-backed Houthis, based in Yemen, have escalated attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea in response to Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

The attacks often targeted vessels with connection to Israel, but the group has not claimed responsibility for the Al Jasrah incident.