Houthi claims missile attack on cargo ships

Houthi forces claim to have fired missiles at a British ship and two Israeli vessels in a new series of attacks targeting shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Houthi armed group in Yemen, announced on April 7 that the force had carried out five attacks in the past 72 hours, including missile attacks on the British cargo ship Hope Island and two Israeli ships MSC Grace F and MSC Gina in the Red Sea. Mr. Saree did not provide further information about the attacks.

According to shipping tracking websites, the Marshall Islands-flagged Hope Island has been in the Red Sea since April 5, while the Panama-flagged MSC Grace F and MSC Gina have been in the Gulf of Aden.

The Houthi statement came after UK-based maritime security consultancy Ambrey said two cargo ships were attacked off the coast of Yemen on April 7.

“A ship was targeted southwest of Mukalla,” the Yemeni port city on the Gulf of Aden, Ambrey said, without mentioning the nationality of the ship or whether it had been hit. The company had earlier said a shell had landed near another ship southwest of the Yemeni city of Aden.

Houthi missiles during a military parade in Sanaa, Yemen in September 2023. Photo: AFP — Houthi missiles during a military parade in Sanaa, Yemen in September 2023. Photo: *AFP*

Houthi forces have continuously launched missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack cargo ships and warships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023, to show solidarity with the Palestinian people after Israel sent troops into the Gaza Strip to "eradicate" the Hamas armed group.

The Houthis and Hamas are members of an Iran-backed "axis of resistance" in the Middle East against Israel and the United States.

The latest series of Houthi attacks came after a lull of several days and coincided with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meeting with senior Houthi official Mohamed Abdelsalam in Oman. During the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian praised the Houthis' support for the Palestinian people.

Location of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Graphic: Wikimedia — Location of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Graphic: *Wikimedia*

Since mid-January, the US-led coalition has repeatedly attacked Houthi targets in Yemen, in response to the group's attacks and to prevent the group from continuing to target shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Huthi said midweek that the US and its allies had carried out more than 400 attacks in Yemen, killing 37 people and wounding 30. Malik al-Huthi also said the group would continue to attack merchant ships in the Red Sea, adding that the force had carried out a total of 34 attacks in the past month.

Pham Giang (According to AFP )

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