Attacks damage two ships off Yemen: UK agency
One ship was hit by a sea drone, puncturing a ballast tank, and a second vessel was damaged by a missile less than three hours later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
For the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict, visit our dedicated page.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility, but Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have targeted ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November in what they describe as support for Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.
In the first attack, a port-side ballast tank, used to adjust buoyancy, was holed by an “uncrewed surface vessel,” UKMTO, which is run by Britain’s Royal Navy, said in a statement.
The same ship, sailing 64 nautical miles (118 kilometers) northwest of Hodeida, had come under threat earlier on Tuesday, UKMTO said, reporting four splashes nearby.
The second ship was damaged by a missile strike 97 nautical miles (179 kilometers) off Hodeida, UKMTO said, adding all crew were reported safe.
Months of Houthi drone and missile attacks have disrupted maritime traffic in the Red Sea and triggered reprisal strikes by the United States and Britain against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree on Tuesday pledged “practical support for the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples until the [Israeli] aggression is defeated and its criminal plans and expansionist conspiracies are thwarted.”
For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
On Sunday, Israeli air strikes hit Hodeida after the Houthis said they fired a missile at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
The attack on Hodeida, Israel’s second on the vital port city since July, killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, according to Houthi-run media.
Read more: