Merchant ship damaged by drone in Red Sea: UK maritime office
Jun 23, 2024
Sana'a [Yemen], June 23 : A merchant ship was hit by a drone in Red Sea on Sunday at 65 nautical miles west of Hodeidah, Yemen, Al Jazeera reported citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UK MTO).
The ship is making its way to its next port of call and "all crew members are reported safe", it added.
According to Al Jazeera, the latest attack comes after the Yemen-based Houthis claimed to have hit a commercial vessel directly with a ballistic missile after it used an Israeli port.
Meanwhile, a Greek-owned ship sank in the Red Sea after being attacked by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on June 20, reported CBS News citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The ship, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, also known as MV Tutor, is believed to be the second ship sunk by Houthis since March when the British registered vessel Rubymar was downed after being struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched an invasion of Gaza following the Hamas' attack on Southern Israel in October last year.
Following the attacks by the Hamas terror group, tensions have boiled in the Middle East, with key regional actors condemning the humanitarian crises caused by the war, as reported by CNN.
"The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. The ongoing threat to international commerce caused by the Houthis in fact makes it harder to deliver badly needed assistance to the people of Yemen as well as Gaza," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated.
Earlier this month, CENTCOM launched attacks on Houthi radars which helped to facilitate the group's ongoing assaults on ships in the Red Sea, the US Central Command said.
