2023-12-03 20:08:17
A United States Navy ship, as well as several commercial vessels, were attacked this Sunday in the Red Sea, Pentagon sources have informed the Associated Press agency. “We are aware of reports of attacks against the USS Carney and other commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” the Pentagon said.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for attacks on two ships in the area, for being linked to Israel, but not that their target was the US ship. The incident could further trigger tension in the Middle East, amid the intensification of Israel’s attacks against the Gaza Strip and the latest attacks on several ships in the region.
The US Department of Defense has assured that they will provide more information in this regard. At the moment they have only confirmed that the attack began at 10 in the morning, local time in Sanaa, in Yemen, and that it lasted five hours.
This Sunday, the United Kingdom Army had reported an attack and several explosions in the area, which they suspected came from “unmanned aerial systems.” The British Navy’s Maritime Commercial Operations (UKMTO) office said in an alert that the attack occurred in the vicinity of Bab el Mandeb, near the coast of Yemen, and urged ships sailing through the area to “take precautions.”
Several Arab media reported that the center of this possible attack had been a cargo ship flying the Bahamas flag and owned by Britain, EFE reports. It is still unknown if the American ship was in this same area.
The Houthi rebels of Yemen, who have the support of Iran, have claimed responsibility this Sunday for attacks with missiles and drones against the cargo ships “Unity Explorer” and “Number 9” while they were transiting the Red Sea, according to EFE, although not has mentioned any American vessel.
The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, stated in a televised speech that the insurgents “carried out an operation against two Israeli ships” in the Bab el Mandab Strait, and identified the vessels as “Unity Explorer.” with the flag of Bahamas, and “Number 9”, with the flag of Panama.
“The first ship was attacked with a naval missile and the second with a naval drone,” indicated the military spokesman, adding that the operation took place “after the two ships rejected warning messages” from the Houthis.
The region has been the center of this type of attacks and kidnappings in recent weeks, within the framework of growing tension between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas. With the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis threatened to “not stand by” and have since launched a series of missile and drone attacks against Israel that have been intercepted by Israel’s air defenses. or by US warships.
Given the ineffectiveness of their attacks, the insurgents threatened to attack ships flying the Israeli flag or owned by Israeli companies transiting the Red Sea, one of the most important maritime trade routes in the world.
Likewise, American media point out that the Houthis have launched ballistic missiles in recent weeks near US destroyers in that area, while Washington has announced in recent days that it has intercepted several drones that were heading against their positions.
In mid-November, insurgents captured the vehicle-carrying cargo ship “Galaxy Leader,” which is owned by a British company but operated by the Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen (NYK Line), although it would be partially owned by an Israeli businessman.
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