A ship traveling through the Red Sea came under repeated missile fire Friday in an attack launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels, authorities said, the latest targeting the crucial maritime route.
Five missiles landed near the vessel as it travelled off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. The missiles landed near the vessel, but caused no damage, the UKTMO added.
Houthi military spokesman, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, claimed late Friday the group made two attacks on ships in the Red Sea, but it wasn't immediately clear which ship was the one reported targeted by authorities. He also made other claims as well on attacks otherwise unreported on vessels. The Houthis have exaggerated their claims in the past.
The rebels have targeted more than 60 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They seized one vessel and sank two since November. A US-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.
The Houthis maintain that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war — including some bound for Iran.
Late on Tuesday, Saree said the group was responsible for an attack Monday on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-managed container ship MSC Sarah V. On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed they used a new hypersonic ballistic missile in the assault, which targeted a ship farther away than nearly all of the previous assaults they've launched in the Gulf of Aden.
Another attack Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden was suspected to have been carried out by the Houthis, though they have yet to claim it. A Houthi attack also happened Thursday in the Red Sea.
A US-led coalition has been battling the Houthis. Early Saturday, the US military's Central Command said it destroyed seven Houthi drones and a “ground control station vehicle” in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The Houthis on Friday had reported airstrikes around Hodeida's airport, which long has been suspected of being used as a rebel launch site.
The strikes were carried out because the drones and the vehicle “presented an imminent threat to US coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” the US Central Command said in a statement on social media platform X.
Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in attacks they say are in solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
On Friday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for attacks on four vessels, including a “direct hit” on the Delonix tanker in the Red Sea after an operation involving several ballistic missiles.
Houthi rebels claim attack on ship off Yemen
However, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said five missiles were fired on Friday in “close proximity” to this vessel, which it said reported no damage.
The Delonix was located around 150 nautical miles (277 kilometers) northwest port of Hodeida when it was attacked, according to UKMTO, which is run by Britain’s Royal Navy.
The Houthis also claimed attacks on the Waler oil tanker and Johannes Maersk container ship in the Mediterranean Sea and the Ioannis bulk carrier in the Red Sea.
The United States in December announced a maritime security initiative to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, which have forced commercial vessels to divert from the route that normally carries 12 percent of global trade
CENTCOM said its strike on Friday was carried out “to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure.”
“This continued malign and reckless behavior by Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
The attacks have sent insurance costs spiraling for vessels transiting the Red Sea and prompted many shipping firms to take the far longer passage around the southern tip of Africa instead.
