Houthis Launch Three Attacks on Red Sea Ship
Yemen’s Houthi rebels are suspected of carrying out three attacks against a ship in the Red Sea on Tuesday as part of their campaign of assaults over the Israel-Hamas war, officials said.
The ship was attacked three times near the Houthi held port city of Hodeida.
The attacks come as the rebels’ main sponsor, Iran, weighs possible retaliation against Israel over the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh in July.
The first two attacks occurred around 70 miles south of Hodeida according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.
An explosive was detonated near the ship, then a small vessel “acting suspiciously” flashed a light near the ship and came close.
This was followed by a second blast, the UKMTO said.
The private security firm Ambrey also reported the attacks, saying the ship saw “two ‘close-proximity’ explosions.”
The ship was then attacked for a third time, 110 miles northwest of Hodeida. An explosion was seen off a ship, the UKMTO said.
The Houthis have not yet claimed the attack, however they do not always claim attacks immediately.
The Houthis have targeted more than 70 vessels with missiles and drones since the start of the war in Gaza in October.
The Red Sea maritime route, responsible for $1 trillion in annual trade between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, has been significantly impacted by the ongoing Houthi assaults.
The Houthis claim that their attacks are directed at ships linked to Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom, aiming to pressure Israel into ending its military operations against Hamas in Gaza.
However many of the vessels targeted by the rebels appear to have little or no direct connection to the conflict, and some are bound for Iran.
On July 19, the Houthis launched drones and missiles toward Israel, resulting in a deadly attack on Tel Aviv that killed one person and injured 10 others.
Israel responded swiftly with airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida, hitting fuel depots and electrical stations, killing and wounding a number of people, the rebels say.
Following the Israeli strikes, the Houthis paused their attacks for a brief period, resuming on Aug. 3 with an assault on a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden.
Another Liberian-flagged oil tanker was subject of a series of attacks starting on Aug. 8, likely orchestrated by the Houthis.
Last week, the Houthis signaled to Newsweek the group’s plans for substantial operations ahead.
The U.S. military has ramped up its presence in the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group has been ordered to expedite its arrival in the Middle East, joined by the USS Georgia guided missile submarine.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group remains stationed in the Gulf of Oman, and extra F-22 fighter jets have been deployed to the area.
The USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship equipped with F-35 fighter jets, is also positioned in the Mediterranean Sea.
Source » msn.com
