2024-09-04 05:59:28
Two ships in the Red Sea were targeted yesterday by suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities. The two ships were close to where crews were making efforts to save an oil tanker that was still burning after another rebel attack, BTA reported.
These are the latest attacks by the Iran-backed rebels, whose actions have disrupted the movement of goods in the Red Sea worth more than $1 billion a year since the war broke out in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis’ actions have also cut off some humanitarian aid supplies to conflict-torn Sudan and Yemen.
Meanwhile, efforts to save the still-burning Sounion ship and avert a possible environmental disaster continue as the ship was carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil.
In the first attack today, ballistic missiles struck the Panamanian-flagged tanker Blue Lagoon I and another exploded near the ship, the multinational Joint Maritime Information Center, run by the US Navy, said.
“All crew on board are unharmed (no injuries reported),” the center said. “The vessel sustained minimal damage but does not require assistance.”
The Blue Lagoon I was sailing south through the Red Sea to an undisclosed destination. The vessel came from the Russian Baltic port of Ust Luga and reported that it was carrying cargo of Russian origin.
In recent months, the Blue Lagoon I has been traveling to India, which provides more than 40 percent of its oil imports from Russia, despite Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the resulting international sanctions.
The British Army’s Merchant Marine Operations Center later reported a second attack near the Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah. Private security firm Ambri said a drone struck a merchant ship, but no damage or injuries were reported. The attack was just a few kilometers from where the Blue Lagoon I was attacked, it said. Ambri”.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attacks, but it could be hours, or even days, before the rebels confirm their attacks.
Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, more than 80 vessels have been targeted by Houthi missile and drone attacks. They captured one ship and sank two others in an operation that killed four sailors.
The rebels stick to their position that they attack ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force Israel to end its campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships have little or no connection to the conflict .