Suspected drones deployed by Yemen's Houthi rebels have reportedly attacked two more ships in Middle Eastern waters, marking the latest incidents in the group's ongoing campaign targeting vessels amidst heightened tensions over Israel's unabated attacks on the Gaza Strip in Palestinian territory
Shipping companies are being forced to reroute their vessels away from the Red Sea following Houthi assaults. (AFP)
Suspected drones deployed by Yemen's Houthi rebels have reportedly attacked two more ships in Middle Eastern waters, marking the latest incidents in the group's ongoing campaign targeting vessels amidst heightened tensions over Israel's unabated attacks on the Gaza Strip in Palestinian territory.
The first attack happened in the southern part of the Red Sea, west of Yemen's Hodeida port, causing minor damage to the vessel's bridge windows, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, newswire AP reported.
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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 said.
A second ship came under attack later Tuesday off Yemen's southern port city of Aden, the UKMTO reported. Ambrey identified it as a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned vessel coming from the US heading to India.
“The vessel reported an explosion 50 meters off its starboard side,” Ambrey said. “No injuries or damage were reported.”
Later, a military spokesman of the 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. He provided no evidence to support the claim.
The Houthis made no claim about the attack off the coast of Aden.
One of the ships the Houthis claimed they attacked “the Morning Tide” matched details provided by Ambrey. Tracking data showed it to be 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 onward to Singapore.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea over Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe.
In recent weeks, the United States and the United Kingdom, backed by other allies, have launched airstrikes targeting Houthi missile arsenals and launch sites for its attacks.
The US and Britain struck 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday. An air assault Friday in Iraq and Syria targeted other militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for a drone strike that killed three US troops in Jordan.
The US military's Central Command separately acknowledged an attack Monday on the Houthis, in which they attacked what they described as two Houthi drone boats loaded with explosives.
American forces “determined they presented an imminent threat to US 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 US Navy vessels and merchant vessels.” (With inputs from AP)
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