In a troubling development amid the ongoing Red Sea crisis, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, the Marlin Luanda, was hit by a missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The crew on board managed to extinguish the resulting fire after hours of battling the blaze, according to authorities.

The attack on the tanker, which carried Russian-produced flammable oil called naphtha, further complicates the already tense situation caused by the Houthi rebels' attacks in response to Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This incident also draws Moscow deeper into the conflict, as the tanker's cargo originates from Russia.

Earlier on Saturday, US forces conducted a strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed at the Red Sea. The USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, had previously shot down a Houthi missile targeting it. The fire onboard the Marlin Luanda continued to burn until it was fully extinguished, as confirmed by Trafigura, a Singapore-based trading firm.

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the missile strike. The crew, consisting of 25 Indian nationals and two Sri Lankans, worked tirelessly to battle the blaze. The Indian navy's guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam provided assistance in fighting the fire.

The Marlin Luanda is managed by a British firm and was on its way to Singapore when it was attacked. The incident highlights the vulnerability of shipping in the Red Sea, a critical route for global trade between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack, referring to the tanker as a "British oil ship" and vowing to continue such assaults. Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea have been ongoing since November, targeting vessels with varying degrees of connection to Israel, thus endangering crucial trade routes.

This escalation has also prompted the rebels to announce their intentions to target American and British ships. In recent days, two American-flagged ships carrying cargo for the US Defense and State departments came under attack, leading to the US Navy's intervention.

China, heavily reliant on seaborne trade in the region, has called for calm. Meanwhile, Russia has condemned the US and the UK for their strikes against the Houthi rebels while engaging with the group in Moscow.

The incidents in the Red Sea have led to heightened security concerns. In a separate event, armed individuals were spotted near a vessel in the Arabian Sea. The vessel's security team fired warning shots, resulting in the retreat of the assailants. This incident follows a rise in suspected Somali pirate activity, coinciding with the increasing Houthi attacks.

As tensions mount in the Red Sea, the international community remains on high alert, closely monitoring the situation and seeking measures to ensure the safety of maritime trade in the region.