Maersk Line has refuted assertions by the Houthis that the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group has attacked one of its chartered container ships in the Arabian Sea.
The Houthis continue targeting ships in response to the Gaza War.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said on 18 October on X that several drones assaulted the 2013-built 4,957 TEU Megalopolis, which Maersk has been chartering from Costamare since 2018.
Yahya said: “With God’s help, we targeted the Megalopolis ship in the Arabian Sea with a number of drones. The ship was targeted because its owner company violated the decision to ban entry to the ports of occupied Palestine.”
However, a Maersk spokesperson told Container News: “It has been confirmed as fake news.”
According to EconDB, Megalopolis is assigned to Maersk’s ME8 service connecting the Middle East with the Europe. The ME8 was introduced in February to offer solutions for containers heading to the West and East Mediterranean from the Persian Gulf.
S&P Global’s data does not show Megalopolis as being in casualty or undergoing repairs, and that the ship is off Salalah, Oman. The ship was underway from Valencia, Spain, to Jebel Ali, with its estimated date of arrival being on 21 October.
The last attack on a Maersk-operated ship was in July, when the 6,648 TEU Maersk Sentosa escaped damage or crew injuries after being hit by missiles in the Arabian Sea.
In the past week, US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed 20 one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems and cruise missiles.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
