Agencies
Sanaa
Yemen’s Houthi armed group says it has targeted a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden, claiming its first attack on shipping since Israel carried out an air strike in the port city of Hodeidah on July 20.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement on Sunday that the MV Groton was attacked by ballistic missiles.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and British security firm Ambrey said the vessel was targeted on Saturday by a missile 125 nautical miles (230km) east of Yemen’s port of Aden. Both said no water entry or oil leaks were observed.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a multinational coalition overseen by the US navy, said all crew members on board were safe and "the vessel was reported diverting to a port nearby,” The Groton had left Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Groton’s Greek managers did not respond to a request for comment.
The attack is the first since an apparent lull after Israel’s attack on Hodeidah, which occurred a day after a drone launched by the Iranian-allied group hit the Israeli economic hub of Tel Aviv. JMIC said the ship "was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making recent port calls in Israel”.
The resumption of attacks by the Houthis comes after the assassinations last week of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and a Hezbollah military commander in Beirut amid renewed concerns over the war breaking out into a regional conflict.
The Houthis have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s war on Gaza.
The rebels, who control much of Yemen’s heavily populated north and west, including the capital, Sanaa, have targeted more than 70 vessels with missiles and drones in a campaign that has killed four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two.