Suspected missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels hits container ship, first in two weeks
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — A suspected missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels A terrorist attack hit a container ship sailing through the Gulf of Aden, authorities said Sunday, likely the group’s first assault since Israeli airstrikes targeted them.
The Houthis have provided no explanation for the two-week pause in their attacks on ships using the Red Sea corridor, which have seen similar slowdowns since the assaults began in November. Israel’s War Against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
But the recovery comes after The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in IranThe Houthis’ main benefactor, amid renewed fears the war could escalate into a regional conflict.
Saturday’s attack took place about 225 kilometers southeast of Aden, in a part of the Gulf of Aden that has previously been the scene of numerous Houthi attacks.
A security official on board the ship said a missile struck the vessel, but “no fire, water ingress or oil leaks were observed,” according to a statement from the British military’s Maritime Commercial Operations Center, a clearinghouse for information on attacks in the Middle East. UKMTO did not immediately identify the vessel hit.
Private security firm Ambrey also reported the attack. Details reported by both organizations suggest the vessel targeted was the Liberian-flagged container ship Groton, which had left Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Groton’s Greek management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for Saturday’s attack. However, it can take hours or even days for them to acknowledge an attack.
The rebels targeted more than 70 ships with missiles and drones in their campaign that killed four sailors. seized a ship And sunk two Since then, other missiles and drones have been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or crashed before reaching their targets.
The Houthis say their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain, part of the rebels’ campaign they say is aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the war, including some bound for Iran.
The Houthis also launched drones and missiles towards Israel, including one July 19 attack that left one victim and wounded 10 others in Tel Aviv. Israel responded the next day with airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida, which hit fuel depots and power stationskilling and wounding a number of people, according to the rebels.
Since then, there have been no reports of attacks on ships using the Red Sea Corridor, which connects Asia and the Middle East to Europe via the Suez Canal. Since November, Houthi attacks have disrupted the $1 trillion worth of goods that pass through the region each year, while also triggering attacks on Houthi ships. the most intense fight The U.S. Navy has experienced since World War II.
Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran has raised concerns about a further escalation in the war between Israel and Hamas. The US military already says It will move a squadron of jet fighters to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group will enter the Middle East to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, which is in the Gulf of Oman. Other ships are in the Mediterranean Sea with a detachment of Marines in case regional evacuations are necessary.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the US military’s Central Command said its forces had destroyed a Houthi missile and launcher in Yemen.
The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which left 1,200 dead and 250 taken hostage, sparked the war. Since then, Israel has killed at least 39,550 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and 590 in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian health officials.
