CAIRO — A ship got here underneath assault within the Crimson Sea off the southwest coast of Yemen on Sunday, a British maritime company and a safety agency stated, in an assault that one in all them stated bore the hallmarks of the Houthi militant group.
Maritime safety sources stated the vessel, which they recognized because the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk provider Magic Seas, had taken on water after being hit by sea drones.
The ship was first focused by gunfire and self-propelled grenades launched from eight small boats, with armed safety on the ship returning hearth, the UK Maritime Commerce Operations (UKMTO) and British maritime safety agency Ambrey stated in advisories.
Ambrey stated in a separate advisory that the ship was later attacked by 4 Unmanned Floor Autos.
“Two of the USVs impacted the port facet of the vessel, damaging the vessel’s cargo,” Ambrey added. UKMTO stated the assault resulted in a hearth onboard and that the incident was ongoing.
There have been no stories of accidents among the many crew, a supply at maritime safety firm Diaplous stated. The vessel’s operator was not instantly accessible for remark.
Nobody instantly claimed accountability for the assault, however Ambrey assessed the vessel “to satisfy the established Houthi goal profile.”
It was the primary such incident reported by the companies within the space since mid-April. Tensions within the Center East stay excessive over the conflict in Gaza and after the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict and airstrikes by the US on Iranian nuclear websites in June.
Sunday’s assault occurred 51 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s port metropolis of Hodeidah, the UKMTO and Ambrey stated.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis launched greater than 100 assaults concentrating on delivery from November 2023, saying they have been appearing in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
Throughout that interval, the group sank two ships, seized one other and killed at the very least 4 seafarers in an offensive that disrupted world delivery, forcing companies to reroute, prompting the US to accentuate assaults on the group this 12 months.
In Could, President Donald Trump introduced the US would cease bombing the Houthis in Yemen, saying that the group had agreed to cease interrupting necessary delivery lanes within the Center East.
Below the settlement, neither the US nor the Houthis would goal the opposite, together with US ships within the Crimson Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, Oman stated in a press release on the time.
Later in June, Yemen’s Houthis threatened to focus on US ships within the Crimson Sea if Washington grew to become concerned in Israeli assaults on Iran. They haven’t specified whether or not they are going to comply with by way of on their menace after the US attacked Iranian nuclear services final month. — Reuters