DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels damaged a Belizean-flagged ship sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, leaving the crew on board. was forced to abandon it. authorities announced on Monday. Another ship was reportedly attacked twice in the Gulf of Aden.
The Iran-backed Houthis also claimed to have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, although US forces in the region did not immediately confirm. However, the Houthis have shot down U.S. drones before.
US military launches self-defense strikes targeting Houthi missiles in Yemen, tracks projectiles in Gulf of Aden
Meanwhile, the US military has carried out new airstrikes targeting the rebels, including targeting Houthi underwater drones, the first seen since they began attacking international shipping in November. It was announced that this would also include the following.
The vessel targeted by Sunday’s Houthi attack was damaged by an “explosion in close proximity to the vessel,” the British military’s Royal Maritime Trade Operations Center reported.
“Military authorities report that the crew have abandoned ship,” UKMTO said in a statement. “The vessel is at anchor and all crew members are safe.”
Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Salih issued a statement claiming the attack and said the ship later sank.
There was no independent confirmation that the ship sank.
“The ship suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete standstill,” Sally said. “During the operation, we ensured that the ship’s crew was able to safely eject.”
Private security firm Ambry reported that the British-flagged, Lebanese-operated cargo ship was heading to Bulgaria after leaving Korfakan in the United Arab Emirates.
This is a location map of Yemen including the capital Sanaa. (AP photo)
Vessel tracking data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by The Associated Press identified the targeted vessel as the Ruby Mar. Managers at the Beirut-based company could not be reached for comment.
The Houthis later identified the ship as the Rubimaa, as did the U.S. Central Command.
The Central Command announced that two anti-ship ballistic missiles were used in the attack, one of which hit the Rubimar.
Ambry said the ship was partially loaded with cargo, but it was not immediately clear what it was carrying. The ship had turned off its Automatic Identification System tracking device while in the Persian Gulf earlier this month.
Late on Monday, UKMTO and Ambry announced that a second ship had been attacked in the Gulf of Aden. Ambry said the ship was a Greek-flagged, U.S.-owned bulk carrier bound for Aden, Yemen, with grain from Argentina. The same ship was then attacked again later that day.
These details, combined with ship tracking data, revealed this vessel to be a champion of the seas. Administrators could not immediately be reached. The Houthis later claimed the attack, which they said targeted a second vessel other than the Sea Champion.
Since November, rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They frequently target ships with weak or unclear links to Israel, endangering shipping along vital trade routes between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. These vessels include at least one vessel with cargo for Iran, its main backer.
Salih also claimed that in a separate attack, Houthi forces shot down an MQ-9 drone near the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on the Red Sea. He offered no evidence for that claim.
“The Houthis were able to shoot down a US aircraft (MQ-9), which was carrying out a hostile mission against our country on behalf of the Zionist entity, with air defense forces using suitable missiles,” Salih said. said.
The U.S. military did not immediately confirm that any drones were lost in the area. However, the Houthis have surface-to-air missile systems that can shoot down high-flying American drones. In November, the Pentagon acknowledged the loss of an MQ-9 shot down by rebel forces over the Red Sea.
Since Yemen’s Houthi rebels took control of northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa in 2014, the U.S. military has lost four drones shot down by the rebels in 2017, 2019 and this year.
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Meanwhile, the US Central Command reported that it had carried out five airstrikes targeting Houthi military equipment. The attacks targeted mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, explosive-laden drone boats and “unmanned submarines,” the Central Command said.
“This is the first observed use of UUVs by the Houthis since the offensive began on October 23,” Central Command said.
