Missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels hits container ship in first attack in 2 weeks

Jon Gambrell, Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A rocket onslaught by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck a Liberian-flagged instrumentality vessel walking done nan Gulf of Aden, authorities said Sunday, nan first battle by nan group since Israeli airstrikes targeted them.

The Houthis offered nary mentation for nan two-week region successful their attacks connected shipping done nan Red Sea corridor, which person seen akin slowdowns since nan assaults began successful November complete Israel’s warfare connected Hamas successful nan Gaza Strip. But nan resumption comes aft nan assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh successful Iran, nan Houthis’ main benefactor, amid renewed concerns complete nan warfare breaking retired into a location conflict.

The rebels separately said they changeable down different U.S. spy drone Sunday, later publishing imagery of nan aircraft’s wreckage connected nan broadside of nan mountain.

The onslaught connected Saturday happened immoderate 225 kilometers (140 miles) southeast of Aden successful a agelong of nan Gulf of Aden that has seen galore Houthi attacks previously. It deed nan instrumentality vessel Groton conscionable supra its waterline, causing insignificant damage, said nan Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational conjugation overseen by nan U.S. Navy. An earlier rocket onslaught missed nan vessel, nan JMIC said.

“All unit connected committee are safe,” nan halfway said. “The alloy was reported diverting to a larboard nearby.”

The Groton had near Fujairah successful nan United Arab Emirates bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Groton’s Greek managers did not respond to a petition for comment.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi subject spokesman, claimed nan onslaught successful a prerecorded connection Sunday afternoon.

The rebels person targeted much than 70 vessels pinch missiles and drones successful a run that has killed 4 sailors. They person seized 1 alloy and sunk 2 successful nan clip since. Other missiles and drones person been either intercepted by a U.S.-led conjugation successful nan Red Sea aliases splashed down earlier reaching their targets.

The Houthis support that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, nan United States aliases Britain arsenic portion of nan rebels’ run they opportunity seeks to unit an extremity to nan Israel-Hamas warfare successful nan Gaza Strip. However, galore of nan ships attacked person small aliases nary relationship to nan warfare — including immoderate bound for Iran.

In nan lawsuit of nan Groton, JMIC said that nan vessel “was targeted owed to different vessels wrong its institution building making caller larboard calls successful Israel.”

The Houthis besides person launched drones and missiles toward Israel, including an onslaught connected July 19 that killed 1 personification and wounded 10 others successful Tel Aviv. Israel responded nan adjacent time pinch airstrikes connected nan Houthi-held larboard metropolis of Hodeida that deed substance depots and electrical stations, sidesplitting and wounding a number of people, nan rebels say.

In nan clip since, location has not been a reported onslaught connected shipping done nan Red Sea corridor, which links Asia and nan Middle East to Europe done nan Suez Canal. Since November, Houthi attacks person disrupted nan $1 trillion travel of equipment passing done nan region annually while besides sparking nan astir aggravated combat nan U.S. Navy has seen since World War II.

Saree besides claimed successful his connection that nan Houthis changeable down a U.S MQ-9 spy drone complete Saada province. Shortly aft nan claim, nan rebels published footage of nan downed aircraft, showing Houthi supporters including children climbing complete nan wreckage and pointing astatine what appeared to beryllium missiles nan drone had carried.

The U.S. Defense Department said it was alert of nan declare and investigating, without elaborating.

Since Yemen’s civilian warfare started successful 2014, erstwhile nan Houthis seized astir of nan country’s northbound and its capital, Sanaa, nan U.S. subject has mislaid aggregate drones to nan rebels, while others whitethorn person been mislaid by nan CIA. No subject recognition markings could beryllium seen connected nan downed drone successful nan footage.

MQ-9 drones, known arsenic Reapers, costs astir $30 cardinal apiece. They tin alert astatine altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (about 15,000 meters) and person an endurance of up to 24 hours earlier needing to land.

The sidesplitting of Haniyeh successful Tehran has sparked concerns of a caller escalation successful nan Israel-Hamas war. Already, nan U.S. subject says it will move a combatant pitchy squadron to nan Middle East and support an craft bearer successful nan region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln craft bearer onslaught group will participate nan Middle East to switch nan USS Theodore Roosevelt bearer onslaught group, which is successful nan Gulf of Oman. Other ships are successful nan Mediterranean Sea pinch a Marine detachment if location evacuations go necessary.

Meanwhile Saturday, nan U.S. military’s Central Command said its forces destroyed a Houthi rocket and launcher successful Yemen.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught connected Israel, which killed 1,200 group and saw 250 others taken hostage, sparked nan war. In nan clip since, Israel has killed astatine slightest 39,580 Palestinians successful nan Gaza Strip and 590 successful nan Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian wellness officials say.