Ship attacked in Crimson Sea off Yemen with gunfire, company says

[ad_1] DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ship got here below assault Sunday within the Crimson Sea off the coast of Yemen by armed males firing weapons and launching rocket-propelled grenades, a bunch overseen by the British navy stated.

There was no fast declare of duty for the assault, which comes as tensions stay excessive within the Center East over the Israel-Hamas warfare and after the Iran-Israel war and airstrikes by the United States targeting Iranian nuclear sites .

The British navy’s United Kingdom Maritime Commerce Operations middle stated that an armed safety group on the unidentified vessel had returned fireplace and that the “scenario is ongoing.” It described the assault as occurring some 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the nation’s Houthi rebels.

“Authorities are investigating,” it stated.

Ambrey, a non-public maritime safety agency, issued an alert saying {that a} service provider ship had been “attacked by eight skiffs whereas transiting northbound within the Crimson Sea.” It stated it believed the assault was ongoing.

Ambrey later stated the ship additionally had been attacked by bomb-carrying drone boats, which may mark a significant escalation within the area. It stated two drone boats struck the ship, whereas one other two had been destroyed by the armed guards on board.

The U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based fifth Fleet referred inquiries to the navy’s Central Command, which didn't instantly reply to a request for remark.

The Houthi rebels have been launching missile and drone attacks in opposition to industrial and navy ships within the area in what the group’s management has described as an effort to finish Israel’s offensive in opposition to Hamas within the Gaza Strip.

The group’s al-Masirah satellite tv for pc information channel acknowledged the assault occurred, however provided no different touch upon it because it aired a speech by its secretive chief, Abdul Malik al-Houthi. Nonetheless, Ambrey stated the vessel focused met “the established Houthi goal profile,” with out elaborating.

Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis focused greater than 100 service provider vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors . That has drastically diminished the circulation of commerce by way of the Crimson Sea hall, which usually sees $1 trillion of products transfer by way of it yearly.

The Houthis paused assaults in a self-imposed ceasefire till the U.S. launched a broad assault in opposition to the rebels in mid-March. That ended weeks later and the Houthis haven’t attacked a vessel, although they've continued occasional missile assaults concentrating on Israel. On Sunday, the group claimed launching a missile at Israel which the Israeli navy stated it intercepted.

In the meantime, a wider, decadelong warfare in Yemen between the Houthis and the nation’s exiled authorities, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, stays in a statemate. The Yemeni Coast Guard, which is loyal to the exiled authorities, has engaged in a firefight with at least one vessel in the Red Sea previously as effectively.

Pirates from Somalia even have operated within the area, although sometimes they’ve sought to seize vessels both to rob or ransom their crews.

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