In a recurring scene for months in the Red Sea, a commercial ship was damaged by a missile off the coast of Yemen, west of the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah.
The UKMTO agency, run by the British Royal Forces, reported in a statement today, Friday, that “a commercial ship reported being hit by a missile and sustaining some damage,” noting that its crew is fine and is continuing to sail toward its destination.
The Embrey Shipping Security Company also confirmed that a tanker was subjected to a missile attack about 88 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah.
She added that there was damage, but no crew injuries were reported.
Series of attacks
While no party has yet claimed responsibility for launching the missile, the incident comes within a series of ongoing attacks in the Red Sea region and the Gulf of Aden that have been carried out for months by the Houthis against the backdrop of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Since November 19, the Houthi group has targeted about 73 ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, with drones and missiles (according to their numbers), claiming that they are linked to Israel or heading to its ports, in support of the Gaza Strip, which has been witnessing a violent Israeli war since October 7.
These attacks forced companies to switch to a longer and more expensive route around Africa.
It also led to the sinking of a cargo ship named “Rubimar”, which was loaded with dangerous materials, which prompted Yemen, as well as other international bodies, to warn of a dire environmental danger. One of the attacks also resulted in the death of 3 sailors as a result of a missile attack on the ship True Confidence, which was flying the Barbados flag and was operated by Greece.
In addition, these attacks fueled fears that the war between Israel and Hamas would destabilize the Middle East region.
While the American and British forces launched joint strikes on several sites in Yemen belonging to the group since January 12, as part of an international maritime coalition led by Washington, with the aim of “protecting” maritime navigation in this strategic region through which 12% of global trade passes.
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