Two ships traveling in Middle East waters were attacked by suspected Yemen Houthi rebel drones early on Tuesday, reported The Associated Press. The update is the latest assault of the Iranian-backed fighters' campaign to target vessels over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
AKROTIRI, CYPRUS - JANUARY 11: In this handout image provided by the UK Ministry of Defence, an RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off from RAF Akrotiri to join the U.S.-led coalition to conduct air strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels on January 11, 2024 in Akrotiri, Cyprus. On Thursday evening, four RAF Typhoons launched from RAF Akrotiri to conduct strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have been targeting merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones. According to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the strikes were done to protect global shipping in the region.
The first attack happened in the southern part of the Red Sea, west of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, causing "slight damage" to the vessel's windows on the bridge, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. A small vessel had been near the ship before the attack.
The private security firm Ambrey identified the vessel as a Barbados-flagged, United Kingdom-owned cargo ship. No one was hurt onboard the vessel, which suffered "minor damage," the firm told the AP.
Aubrey identified the second ship to come under attack later Tuesday off Yemen's southern port city of Aden as a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned vessel coming from the U.S. heading to India.
"The vessel reported an explosion 50 meters off its starboard side," Ambrey said. "No injuries or damage were reported."
A military spokesman for the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed in a statement that the rebel forces attacked two separate vessels, one American and one British, in the Red Sea. However, Saree provided no evidence to support the claim.
What Do The Houthis Have To Say?
The Houthis made no mention of the attack off the coast of Aden.
One of the ships the Houthis claimed, known as the Morning Tide, matched the details given by Ambrey. The tracking data showed it was in the Red Sea near the reported attack.
The Morning Tide's owner, British firm Furadino Shipping, told The Associated Press no one was hurt in the attack and the ship was continuing to Singapore as planned.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, claiming they were avenging Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip. But they have frequently targeted vessels with no definitive links to Israel, jeopardizing shipping in a crucial route for global trade and energy shipments.
During the past few weeks, the U.S. and the U.K., backed by several allies, have launched numerous airstrikes targeting Houthi missile arsenals and launching sites for its attacks.
According to the AP, the U.S. and U.K. struck 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday and initiated an air assault Friday in Iraq and Syria. The operation targeted other Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for a drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan recently.
U.S. military Central Command acknowledged the attack on the Houthis Monday and described the incident against two Houthi drone boats loaded with explosives.
American forces "determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region," the military said. "These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels."
