Houthi rebels attack 3 ships in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Yemen’s Houthi group announced on Thursday that it had launched attacks on three ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden within the past 24 hours.

The U.K.’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office confirmed receiving reports about attacks on two of these ships.

Yahya Saree, the group’s military spokesperson, stated in a televised briefing that the naval, missile and air forces conducted three military operations in the last 24 hours.

The first operation targeted the M/V Verbena in the Gulf of Aden with missiles, resulting in a fire on the ship.

The second and third operations hit the Seaguardian and Athina in the Red Sea using ballistic missiles and drones.

No information was provided about the owners or operators of these ships.

UKMTO confirmed attacks on the M/V Verbena and Seaguardian.

Their X account mentioned that the M/V Verbena was struck by two unknown projectiles in the Gulf of Aden, resulting in a fire. A third projectile caused minor additional damage, but the crew managed to get the fire under control, and the ship remained operational.

In the second incident, the Seaguardian reported an explosion near the vessel while sailing in the Red Sea. The ship’s captain reported no damage and all crew members were safe.

Since the beginning of 2024, a U.S.-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes targeting Houthi locations in Yemen in response to the group’s attacks in the Red Sea. These counterattacks have occasionally been met with retaliation from the Houthis.

The Houthis have targeted cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, where nearly 37,200 Palestinians have been killed since last October following an attack by Hamas.

With tensions rising due to U.S.-U.K. airstrikes against Houthi sites in Yemen, the group declared that it considers all American and British ships to be legitimate military targets.

The Red Sea is one of the world’s most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.