A cargo ship suffered minor damage in a UAV attack in the Red Sea
The US military said it struck two Houthi rebels' unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in Yemen "in self-defense" on Monday, amid heightened concerns about a regional conflagration.
The two drones, loaded with explosives, "were located in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis" and "were determined to pose a direct threat to commercial ships and US Navy vessels in the area," the joint command said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). of the US Armed Forces, responsible for the Middle East region (CENTCOM, "Central Command").
The US armed forces have multiplied their operations in Yemen and off the war-torn country. They say they are acting to protect shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from attacks by the Houthis, who they say are launching them to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, under siege and bombardment by Israel for nearly four years. months.
The Houthis — an Iranian-backed movement that has been fighting the internationally recognized government since 2014 — control most of northern Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula.
As the Houthis launch strikes against ships they say are linked to Israel, of which the US is a key ally, other armed groups close to Iran have been targeting US interests in the region in recent months.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken began a tour of the Middle East to facilitate the declaration of a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where a major humanitarian crisis is unfolding.
Attack on cargo ship
A British cargo ship moving in the Red Sea off Yemen suffered minor damage in a drone attack, a private security firm specializing in international maritime transport said this morning.
According to Ambrey, the "port side" of the British-owned Barbados-flagged cargo ship suffered "minor damage" in the UAV attack.
For its part, Britain's Maritime Safety Office (UKMTO) reported that the attack took place in a sea area 57 nautical miles west of Hodeidah. According to the same source, the crew saw a UAV on its left side, which fired a small projectile at it, causing minor damage to the bridge windows.
Always according to the UKMTO, the incident occurred at around 02:00 (Cyprus time).
No injuries were reported.
There has, so far at least, been no claim of responsibility by the Houthis, who have launched more than thirty attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in a show of "solidarity" with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Source: KYPE / APE-MPE