Houthi ballistic missile attack damages container ship in Gulf of Aden

The Yemeni Houthis attacked and damaged a container ship sailing under the Singapore flag with two missiles on Friday evening.

Confirmation of the attack on the Lobivia ship came as the group also claimed responsibility for a drone attack in Tel Aviv that killed one man and injured four.

The Houthis have expanded their targets and adopted a more aggressive posture in recent weeks. Last month they attacked the coal carrier Tutor with missiles and a remote-controlled boat loaded with explosives, leading to its sinking.

Tutor was the second ship sunk by the Houthis, killing three sailors since November and disrupting global maritime trade by forcing ships to avoid the Suez Canal route and take the longer route around Africa.

Gerald Feierstein, director of the Arabian Peninsula program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said the Houthis’ striking power and access to weapons had increased over the months.

According to the report from the Joint Maritime Information Center, the Lobivia was sailing in the Gulf of Aden when it was hit by missiles on its port side.

The ship was 83 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen, when the attack occurred. Crew members are safe and the ship was en route back to its last port of call, according to UKMTO.

According to British security firm Ambrey, it was crossing the Gulf of Aden when another ship nearby saw a bright light and an explosion.

An hour later, the ship turned off its automatic identification system. On Tuesday, the Houthis used a drone boat to attack a Liberian-flagged oil tanker called the Chios Lion, damaging its port side and leaving a trail of oil that reportedly looked like fuel.

In a statement, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said operations would not stop until Israel ended the war in Gaza and lifted the siege on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s operations against Hamas have resulted in the deaths of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip, including women and children.

Watch this video to learn more.

Video credit: Times of India

References: Strat News Global, More News

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