Attack By Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Targets A Ship In The Red Sea, Though Its Crew Is Reportedly Safe

DUBAI, UAE — Yemen’s Houthi militants launched an attack on a tanker in the Red Sea early Friday, but the crew remained uninjured, authorities said. It was the latest in the rebels’ anti-shipping campaign in response to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre initially stated that the ship had been “struck by a missile” outside the port city of Hodeida, but later Friday announced that a daytime assessment of the vessel revealed no damage.

Attack By Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Targets A Ship In The Red Sea, Though Its Crew Is Reportedly Safe

It stated that the crew was “safe” and that the ship would continue its journey.

Ambrey, a private security agency, also confirmed Friday’s attack and said the tanker with armed guards had a “near miss” off Yemen’s coast in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday. According to the report, the ship was once linked with Israel but changed ownership in February.

The tanker, which had a Panamanian flag and belonged to Vietnam, was named as the Pacific 01 by the Houthis in a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. The Houthis frequently target Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which previously owned the tanker. Idan Ofer, an Israeli millionaire, ultimately manages that corporation.

The rebels also claimed they targeted an American destroyer but did not elaborate. Houthi missile and drone strikes on US vessels have occurred on multiple occasions.

Since November, the Houthis have assaulted ships, claiming that their goal is to push Israel to cease its offensive in Gaza.

The ships targeted by the Houthis, on the other hand, have little or no relation to Israel, the United States, or any other country involved in the conflict. The rebels have also fired missiles at Israel, but they have mostly fallen short or were intercepted.

The attacks on ships have increased the visibility of the Houthis, who are members of Islam’s minority Shiite Zaydi sect who ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962.

Attack By Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Targets A Ship In The Red Sea, Though Its Crew Is Reportedly Safe

According to a report released Thursday, the Rebels reportedly have a hypersonic missile, potentially increasing their cachet and putting additional pressure on Israel after a cease-fire agreement failed to take effect in Gaza before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Hypersonic missiles would pose a greater threat to US and allied vessels in the region.

Earlier in March, a Houthi missile hit a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, killing three of its crew and forcing survivors to leave the ship. It was the Houthis’ first lethal attack against vessels.

Attack By Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Targets A Ship In The Red Sea, Though Its Crew Is Reportedly Safe

Other recent rebel attacks include an attack last month on the Rubymar, a cargo ship carrying fertilizer that eventually sank after drifting for several days.

SOURCE – (AP)