The Houthi rebels on Tuesday claimed responsibility for firing missiles at an American and British vessel in the Red Sea.
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, per agency Associated Press.
This was identified as a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned vessel coming from the US, heading to India.
Spokesman Yahya Saree said the first attack on Tuesday ‘targeted the American ship Star Nasia, while the other targeted the British ship Morning Tide.’
The rebels ‘will carry out more military operations against all hostile American-British targets’ in self-defence, Saree warned on X.
A drone attack on a British-owned cargo ship off Yemen had been initially reported, but was later discovered as projectile that had targeted the Barbados-flagged vessel, but exploded nearby causing minimal damage.
There were no casualties among the crew, as has been reported.
British maritime security agency UKMTO said it had received a report of an incident off the rebel-held port city of Hodeida.
‘The master stated that a projectile was fired at his vessel on the port side which passed over the deck, causing slight damage to the bridge windows,’ United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said, without identifying the vessel or the flying flag.
‘The vessel and crew are safe,’ it added, saying the ship was proceeding on its voyage as planned.
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 British cargo ship.
‘On Feb. 6, from approximately 1:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (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.
On the attack on the ‘Morning Tide’ vessel, the US military said, ‘he remaining three ASBMs were likely targeting MV Morning Tide, a Barbados-flagged, UK-owned cargo ship operating in the Southern Red Sea.
The three missiles impacted the water near the ship without effect. MV Morning Tide is continuing its journey and is reporting no injuries or damage.’