The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden waters off Yemen’s coast have become dangerous for shipping as Houthi rebels, who control areas including the capital Sana’a, stage attacks. The aim is to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
A ship 63 nautical miles southwest of the rebel-held port city of Hudaida reported two explosions nearby early Tuesday.
“A small vessel was observed acting suspiciously nearby, flashing its lights at the vessel,” UKMTO, the UK’s maritime security agency, said.
The ship was then “attacked by an unmanned surface vessel which was successfully disabled,” she said.
Maritime security company Ambrey, for its part, noted that the ship fits the profile of Houthi targets.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), which is run by a 45-member international maritime coalition, identified the vessel as the Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker Delta Atlantica.
A second ship, 97 nautical miles northwest of Hudaida, also reported an explosion nearby, the UKMTO said.
JMIC identified the second vessel as the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker On Phoenix.
Although no one has yet claimed responsibility, the strikes are similar to those carried out by the Iran-backed Houthis in the past. Their attacks began in November, about a month after the October 7 Hamas launched unprecedented attacks against Israel that sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.
Late on Tuesday, US Central Command said it had “successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi vessels in the Red Sea”, but did not provide specific details about the targets.
“These vessels posed a clear and imminent threat to US and coalition forces and merchant shipping in the region,” the US said in a statement.
The Houthis’ anti-shipping campaign has disrupted maritime traffic in the Red Sea, which is important for global trade.
2024-08-14 16:46:53