 |
| Source : REUTERS |
Ship Off Yemen Struck by Two Missiles, Igniting Onboard Fire in Suspected Houthi Attack
In a shocking development, an unnamed vessel was attacked in the Gulf of Aden. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed the incident and reported that US-led coalition forces had responded. The vessel, identified as a Palau-flagged cargo ship by a maritime security firm, was attacked about 70 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni city of Aden.
The Houthi rebels, who control much of north-western Yemen and are backed by Iran, have been targeting merchant vessels in the region since November. They claim these attacks are a show of support for the Palestinians in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The rebels often allege, albeit falsely, that the targeted ships are linked to Israel, the US, or the UK.
In another development, the Israeli military reported a successful interception of a launch identified in the Red Sea area, en route to Israel. The US military also confirmed that it had carried out four “self-defence” strikes against seven mobile cruise missiles and one mobile ballistic missile launcher in Houthi-controlled areas.
Earlier this week, the crew of a Belize-flagged, British-registered cargo vessel, Rubymar, had to abandon ship after it was hit by a Houthi missile. The ship, carrying 22 tones of “very dangerous” fertilizer, was down by the stern but had not sunk.
The Houthis also claimed to have attacked two US-owned cargo ships in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The US military confirmed that two missiles were fired at one of them, the Greek-flagged Sea Champion, which was able to continue its journey to Aden to deliver grain.
The US state department condemned the attacks as “reckless and indiscriminate”, warning that they had delayed deliveries of critical humanitarian aid to Yemen, Sudan, and Ethiopia. It also pledged to continue taking “appropriate action” to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping in the critical waterway, which accounts for about 12% of global seaborne trade.
US and British warships have been deployed in the region as part of an international maritime task force. US forces, occasionally backed by British warplanes, have also been striking Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the attacks since mid-January.
