SANA’A: Early Sunday morning, a merchant ship was damaged in the Red Sea near Yemen, with no injuries reported, following a drone attack.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), operated by the British navy, confirmed the incident which took place approximately 65 nautical miles west of Hodeida, a Yemeni port city.
This attack is part of a series of recent assaults on vessels in the Red Sea, attributed to Iran-backed Houthi rebels. These rebels have declared their actions as support for Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
According to the UKMTO bulletin, the attacked vessel was struck by an unmanned aerial system (UAS), causing damage. Fortunately, all crew members were safe and the ship is currently en route to its next port of call. Authorities have begun an investigation into the incident, though the attackers have not been officially named in this specific instance.
In related developments, the US Central Command reported on Saturday that it had destroyed three nautical drones operated by the Houthis in the last 24 hours. Additionally, the Houthis had fired three anti-ship missiles into the Gulf of Aden. Despite these aggressive actions, there were no casualties or significant damages reported.
