New York: Yemen’s Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group, claimed responsibility for firing missiles at two ships in the Red Sea – one American and one British vessel. Reports claimed that the first attack took place in the southern part of the Red Sea west of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, which caused minor damage to the vessel.
A second ship was attacked on the same day off Yemen’s southern port city of Aden, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, news agency Associated Press reported. This was identified as a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned vessel coming from the US heading to India. However, it is not yet clear whether the explosion was caused by a sea mine or a rocket.
Meanwhile, the US military’s Central Command, in a statement, said that the Houthis fired three missiles at the ‘Star Nasia’ which reported minor damages but no injuries, and three missiles at the ‘Morning Tide’ – a UK-owned cargo ship.
“On Feb. 6, from approximately 1:45 am to 4:30 pm (Arabian Standard Time) Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired six anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” the US military wrote on X.
The Houthis, an armed group originating from Yemen’s northwestern Saada province, have been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea with drones and missiles since October last year, in what they describe as “acts of solidarity with Palestinians” amid the Israel-Hamas war.
