As Iran-backed Huthi rebels announced naval attacks in the crucial commerce route, two maritime security agencies reported that a drone attack on a merchant ship in the Red Sea near Yemen on Sunday caused damage.
The Huthi rebels in Yemen have been attacking ships in and around the Red Sea on a regular basis for several months now. They claim to be supporting the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The most recent strike took place approximately 120 kilometers (65 nautical miles) west of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), an organization under the control of the British Royal Navy.
“The Master of a merchant vessel reports being hit by uncrewed aerial system (UAS), resulting in damage to the vessel,” said a bulletin from the agency.
The “vessel is proceeding to its next port of call” and initially reporting no casualties, it added. “Authorities are investigating.”
The ship was identified as “a Liberia-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier” by the British maritime security company Ambrey.
Working with a naval task force commanded by the West in the area, the Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) said that it was “the second time the vessel was targeted” following missiles launched at it earlier in its passage through the Gulf of Aden.
“While transiting in the Red Sea, the vessel reported being hit… Several members of the crew sustained non-life threatening injuries that do not require immediate medical attention,” the centre said.
“JMIC has investigated and assesses this vessel was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making port calls in Israel.”
