The ship’s captain reported an explosion next to his vessel 40 nautical miles south of the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Mocha, but confirmed that the ship and its crew were unharmed.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the ship’s captain survived an explosion next to his vessel south of Mocha, but the ship continued its journey unharmed. The new attack comes just a day after the Houthis claimed attacks on three ships in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden the previous day.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Tuesday night that they struck the US-flagged Maersk Sentosa vessel in the Arabian Sea with ballistic and cruise missiles in retaliation for US military strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
In addition, Saree said explosive-laden drones were used against the Marthopolis vessel in the Arabian Sea, accusing its parent company of violating the militants’ travel ban on Israel. Another ship, the MSC Patnaree, identified by Saree as Israeli, was also targeted by drones in the Gulf of Aden.
166 attacks in the Red Sea since November
The Houthis also said on Thursday that it had struck 166 ships linked to Israel, the US and Britain since November last year. Speaking on television, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said his group had carried out 10 drone and missile attacks this week. He also added:
Our naval operations in support of the Palestinians in Gaza have not stopped.
The Houthi leader emphasised that the movement of US- and UK-linked vessels has significantly decreased in recent months. He claimed:
Israel-related navigation has almost disappeared.
Representatives of the US, UK and Israel have not yet commented in any way on the Houthi statement.
The Houthis have been launching missile and drone strikes against ships owned, flagged, operated by Israel or bound for Israeli ports in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under total siege and a devastating Israeli military offensive since October last year.
After the US and Britain launched retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi targets inside Yemen, the Houthis said they considered all US and British ships as military targets.
