DUBAI: A suspected missile attack by Yemen’s Houthis hit a container vessel traveling through the Gulf of Aden, authorities said on Sunday, the first assault by the group since Israeli airstrikes targeted them.
The Houthis gave no explanation for the two-week pause in their attacks on shipping lines through the Red Sea corridor. The Yemeni militia’s assaults started in November over Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
But the resumption of strikes comes after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, amid renewed concerns over the conflict breaking out into a regional war.
The attack on Saturday took place some 225 kilometers southeast of Aden in the Gulf of Aden that has witnessed numerous Houthi attacks.
According to a statement from the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) a missile struck the vessel, but no fires have been observed. The private security firm Ambrey also reported the assault. Details reported by the two organizations suggested the ship targeted was the Liberian-flagged container ship Groton.
Houthis have targeted more than 70 ships by firing drones and missiles in their campaign that have killed four sailors. They have captured one ship and sunk two in the time since. Other missiles and drones have been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea.
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The Houthis say that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain as part of their campaign to force an end to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis also have carried out drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel then struck the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida that hit fuel depots and electrical stations, killing and wounding a number of people.
