DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – A Belize-flagged ship sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, was damaged in a missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels, leaving the crew on board. was forced to abandon it. authorities announced on Monday.
The Iran-backed Houthis also claimed to have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, although US forces in the region did not immediately confirm. However, the Houthis have shot down U.S. drones before.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military announced it was carrying out new airstrikes targeting rebels, including the first of its kind. Houthi underwater drone This has been confirmed since it launched attacks on international shipping in November.
A ship targeted by Sunday's Houthi attack was damaged by an “explosion in close proximity to the vessel,” the British military's Royal Maritime Trade Operations Center reported.
“Military authorities report that the crew have abandoned ship,” UKMTO said in a statement. “The vessel is at anchor and all crew members are safe.”
Houthi Brig. Adm. Yahya Salih released a statement claiming the attack, saying the ship was “now at risk of sinking.”
“The ship suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete standstill,” Sally said. “During the operation, we ensured that the ship's crew was able to safely eject.”
Private security firm Ambry reported that the British-flagged, Lebanese-operated cargo ship was heading to Bulgaria after leaving Korfakan in the United Arab Emirates.
Vessel tracking data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by The Associated Press identified the targeted vessel as the Ruby Mar. Managers at the Beirut-based company could not be reached for comment. The Houthis later identified the ship as the Rubimaa.
Ambry said the ship was partially loaded with cargo, but it was not immediately clear what it was carrying. The ship had turned off its Automatic Identification System tracking device while in the Persian Gulf earlier this month.
Since November, rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. Israel's war targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They frequently target ships with weak or unclear links to Israel, endangering shipping along vital trade routes between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. These vessels include at least one vessel with cargo bound for Iran.its main patron.
Salih also claimed that in a separate attack, Houthi forces shot down an MQ-9 drone near the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on the Red Sea. He offered no evidence for that claim.
“The Houthis were able to shoot down a US aircraft (MQ-9), which was carrying out a hostile mission against our country on behalf of the Zionist entity, with air defense forces using suitable missiles,” Salih said. said.
The U.S. military did not immediately confirm that any drones were lost in the area. However, the Houthis have surface-to-air missile systems that can shoot down high-flying American drones. In November, the Pentagon acknowledged the loss of an MQ-9 shot down by rebel forces over the Red Sea.
Since Yemen's Houthi rebels took control of northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa in 2014, the U.S. military has lost four drones shot down by the rebels in 2017, 2019 and this year.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command reported that it had carried out five airstrikes targeting Houthi military equipment. The attacks targeted mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, explosive-laden drone boats and “unmanned submarines,” the Central Command said.
“This is the first observed use of UUVs by the Houthis since the offensive began on October 23,” Central Command said.
