Yemen’s Houthis claim responsibility for attacks on two cargo ships

Sanaa, June 23 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthi armed forces claimed responsibility for the attacks on two cargo ships in the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean on the 23rd.

“Our navy carried out a second targeting operation against the ‘TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR’ cargo ship in the Red Sea using an unmanned boat, which resulted in a direct hit on the ship,” Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement broadcast on Houthi-controlled Masirah TV.

He said: “Our missile forces launched several cruise missiles at the ship “STOLT SEQUOIA” in the Indian Ocean and successfully reached the target.”

The spokesman said the attack was in response to Houthi claims that his company had violated the group’s ban on access to Israeli ports.

Speaking about the USS Eisenhower, the U.S. aircraft carrier that had just left the area, Yahya claimed that a series of attacks by the Houthi armed forces forced the ship to leave.

He reiterated that the group’s attacks will continue until Israel stops its war on the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

Earlier in the day, Yemeni government officials revealed to Xinhua that the Liberian-flagged merchant ship “TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR” was attacked twice by Houthi armed forces in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday and in the waters near the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in the Red Sea early Sunday morning.

The official said the vessel was damaged but was still heading to its destination and there were no reports of injuries to the crew.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed it had received a report of the incident approximately 65 nautical miles west of Hodeidah.

The UK Maritime Trade Organization said in a statement that the captain of a merchant ship reported that an unmanned aerial system had hit the merchant ship, causing damage to the vessel. All crew members are safe and the ship is heading to the next port of call.

The attacks were part of a wider Houthi operation that began in November 2023 targeting ships in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group claimed to be targeting ships with links to Israel or sailing to Israeli ports, citing ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

Ongoing conflict in vital shipping lanes in the Red Sea and its surrounding waters continues to raise concerns about the impact on maritime security and global trade.