Ship attacked multiple times off Yemen’s Hodeidah
The Houthis in Yemen appear to have attacked one of their targets today multiple times, but the ship and its crew are reportedly safe.
We reported earlier how the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said an unnamed vessel was targeted with two manned small boats and an unmanned boat some 70 nautical miles (130km) off Yemen’s Hodeidah.
According to the organisation, the ship then reported a missile “exploding in close proximity”, followed by two further missiles also detonating near the ship.
After about seven hours, the ship again reported “sighting an unknown projectile exploding in close proximity” but reported no damage or casualties.
UKMTO reported attacks on two other vessels as well today, but the Houthi military has not commented.
Yemen’s Houthis claim attacks on three vessels
The Houthi military spokesman has claimed three operations on vessels, one in cooperation with fighters in Iraq.
Yahya Saree said during a televised address that the Bentley I ship was targeted with several small boats, drones and ballistic missiles in the Red Sea. He did not discuss inflicting damage on the ship.
According to the military spokesman, the Yemeni group also directly hit the “CHIOS Lion” oil tanker using an unmanned boat, also in the Red Sea.
“The two ships were targeted because the companies that own them violated the decision to ban entry into the ports of occupied Palestine,” he said.
Saree said the Houthis carried out a joint operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, targeting the Olvia ship in the Mediterranean Sea. He said the operation “achieved its goal” without elaborating.
Houthis launch attacks targeting two oil tankers in Red Sea: US military
Houthi fighters in Yemen launched multiple attacks against an Israeli-owned oil tanker in the Red Sea using three surface vessels and an antiship ballistic missile, the US military reports, while a Greek-operated oil tanker suffered minor damage.
The MT Bentley I, transporting a cargo of vegetable oil from Russia to China, escaped damage and there were no reports of casualties “at this time”, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media.
CENTCOM also reports destroying five Houthi aerial drones over the previous 24 hours, three of which were shot down over the Red Sea and two over Yemen.
In a separate attack, the crude oil tanker MT Chios Lion was targeted by a surface drone in the Red Sea, which caused damage to the vessel but the ship has not requested assistance and no injuries among crew have been reported so far, CENTCOM said.
CENTCOM said regional stability and the lives of mariners “who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza” were threatened by the Houthis, who say they are carrying out their attacks in retaliation for Israel’s war on Gaza.
