A cargo ship has been under attack in the volatile Red Sea since Monday after losing power and suffering major damage, a maritime monitor said on Tuesday.
"The vessel has sustained significant damage and has lost all propulsion. The vessel is surrounded by small craft and is under continuous attack," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in a statement.
Two crew members had been reported injured and two others missing after a commercial ship was attacked Monday off the coast of Yemen's Hodeida, monitors reported, the second vessel attacked in the Red Sea in about 24 hours.
Yemen's Houthi rebels earlier claimed responsibility for an attack on Sunday, in which gunmen on skiffs opened fire on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea, forcing the crew to abandon ship after being hit by rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons.
That incident marked the first Houthi attack on commercial shipping along the vital maritime route in months. In May, the rebels agreed to a ceasefire with Washington, ending weeks of intense US strikes.
UK-based security firm Ambrey said on Monday a "Liberia-flagged bulk carrier was approached and attacked by two skiffs and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) while transiting northbound in the Red Sea."
"The skiffs reportedly opened fire on the vessel and the vessel's Armed Security Team (AST) had returned fire," it said.
"Two crew members were reportedly injured and a further two crew members were missing," it added.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations, run by the British navy, said it received reports of an incident 51 nautical miles (approximately 94 kilometers) west of Hodeida, Yemen.
Galaxy Leader Struck
The Houthis have been targeting Israeli territory and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, forcing shipping companies into a costly detour around southern Africa.
In response, Israel has carried out several strikes on Yemen, including a wave of attacks on Sunday that hit the port city of Hodeida and nearby areas.
The Houthis on Sunday "targeted the Magic Seas ship... using two unmanned boats, five ballistic and cruise missiles, and three drones," military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement.
Saree said the ship sustained a direct hit and was "sunk completely."
He said the company's ships were "a legitimate target" because they had done business with Israel and used its ports.
Israel "struck and destroyed terror infrastructure belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime. Among the targets were the ports of Hodeida, Ras Isa, and Salif," its army said in a statement on Monday.
Among the targets Israel said it struck was the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, which the Houthis captured in November 2023. The Israelis said it had been outfitted with a radar system to track shipping in the Red Sea.
It said the strikes were "in response to the repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel."
Hours after the Israeli strikes, two missiles were launched from Yemen towards Israel, the Israeli army said, with Yemen military spokesman Yehyaa Saree claiming responsibility for the attacks.
The Houthis targeted Ben Gurion airport, the ports of Ashdod and Eilat, and a power station in Ashkelon "in retaliation for this aggression," Saree said in a video statement on Monday.
Earlier, the Houthis' Al-Masirah television station reported that the "Israeli enemy is targeting the port of Hodeida," also reporting strikes on the ports of Ras Isa and Salif and the Ras Al-Kathib power station.
AFP
Comments