Yemen’s Houthis claim attacks on 3 ships in past 24 hours

SANAA, Yemen

Yemen's Houthi group said Thursday that it carried out attacks on three ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the past 24 hours.

The UK's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office confirmed receiving reports of attacks on two of the ships mentioned by the Houthis.

“The naval and missile forces and the air force carried out three military operations in the last 24 hours,” the group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a televised briefing.

He said the first operation was carried out by missile forces targeting the M/V Verbena in the Gulf of Aden, causing a fire onboard.

The second and third operations targeted the Seaguardian and Athina in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles and drones, he added.

No information on the owners or operators of the ships was provided.

UKMTO confirmed reports of attacks on the M/V Verbena and Seaguardian.

Their X account noted that the M/V Verbena was struck by two unknown projectiles while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, resulting in a fire onboard.

A third projectile caused minor additional damage. However, the ship’s security officer reported that the crew had controlled the fire and the ship remained operational.

In a second incident, UKMTO received notification from the Seaguardian of an explosion near the vessel as it sailed in the Red Sea.

The ship's captain reported no damage to the vessel and that all crew members were safe.

Since the beginning of 2024, a coalition led by the US has been conducting airstrikes that it said are targeting Houthi locations in parts of Yemen in response to attacks by the group in the Red Sea. The counterattacks have been occasionally met with retaliation from the group.

The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, where nearly 37,200 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli offensive since last October following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

With tensions escalating due to US-UK airstrikes against Houthi sites in Yemen, the group declared that it considered all American and British ships to be legitimate military targets.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul