JERUSALEM: According to officials, the Houthis in Yemen launched a suspected missile strike on a container ship in the Red Sea on Monday. This is just the latest in their attempt to disrupt international trade along the vital maritime route.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center confirmed that the attack occurred off the coast of Mokha, Yemen, without providing any other information at this time.
A three-missile volley reportedly targeted a cargo ship flying the flag of Malta that was sailing from Djibouti to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to the private security company Ambrey.
“The vessel was targeted due to its listed operator’s ongoing trade with Israel,” Ambrey said.
The Malta-flagged CMA CGM Manta Ray of the Marseille, France-based shipper CMA CGM was scheduled to depart Djibouti on Monday and arrive in Jeddah. The shipper said that the ship could not have been the intended target of the event since it was still docked in Djibouti.
Even though the group was suspected of attacking, the Houthis did not immediately admit it. The rebels usually need several hours to declare their attacks.
According to the Houthis, Israel is under pressure to halt its assault on Hamas in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians, by targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The conflict started on October 7, when terrorists headed by Hamas invaded Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping another 250 more.
Since November, the Houthis have attacked ships more than fifty times, taken one, and sunk another, according to the US Maritime Administration.
The US-led bombing campaign in Yemen has targeted the rebels, resulting in a decrease in Houthi assaults in recent weeks. The danger has caused a decrease in shipping across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
After months of continuous drone and missile bombardment, along with the U.S.-led operation against them, American officials have conjectured that the rebels may be running low on weaponry. But in the last week, the rebels have stepped up their assaults.
The Houthis released video of bits that they said matched known sections of the unmanned aircraft on Saturday, claiming to have shot down another MQ-9 Reaper drone operated by the US military. Colonel in the US Air Force.
Defense Department spokesman Bryon J. McGarry confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that “a US Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen.” He stated that an inquiry was conducted, but he did not provide any details.
