Houthi attacks on four more ships
Last Updated on July 1, 2024 9:19 am
Yemeni armed group Houthi has attacked four commercial ships in the Red and Mediterranean seas. The group claimed responsibility for the attack on a Liberian-flagged ship in the Red Sea. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarri claimed responsibility in a televised statement, The Times of Israel reported on Saturday.
A maritime agency said the Houthis fired five missiles at the ship. The British news agency Reuters reported that the Houthis also targeted three other ships, including two ships in the Mediterranean Sea.
The group said it was targeting commercial ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas. Yahya Sari said the group had fired a ballistic missile at the oil tanker Delonix and had a “direct hit”.
The ship was targeted 150 nautical miles (172 miles) northwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said earlier. However, no damage was reported to the ship. It is moving towards the north. Meanwhile, Sari also said that the Houthis attacked the Ioannis ship in the Red Sea as well as the Wall oil tanker and the Johannes Maersk ship in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Houthis, backed by Middle East regional power Iran, said they expressed solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Israel and the Palestinian independence movement Hamas, according to a Reuters report. So they are attacking ships belonging to or belonging to Israel or belonging to Western countries that support the country.
International shipping has been disrupted since the Houthis began attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea and adjacent waterways in November last year. Many ships bypass the Suez Canal-Red Sea waterway and take the long route around the African continent to their destination. This increases both time and cost. Houthi attacks in the region have disrupted international shipping since last November. Many ships are forced to take a long detour through the southern tip of Africa instead of going through the Red Sea to the Suez Canal.