Houthi forces in Yemen attacked the US-owned and operated bulk carrier Gibraltar Eagle with an anti-ship ballistic missile, US Central Command said on Monday, although there were no reports of injuries or significant damage.
The vessel’s operator, US-based Eagle Bulk Shipping, said it was hit by an “unidentified projectile” while sailing 100 miles (160 km) off the Gulf of Aden and suffered limited damage to hold. No sailors were injured.
“As a result of the impact, the vessel sustained limited damage to the hold, but is stable and exiting the area,” Eagle Bulk said in a statement, adding that it was carrying a cargo of steel products.
Backed by Iran, the Houthis, who control most of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, have attacked commercial ships in the area that they say are linked to Israel or headed for Israeli ports, in a move they say aims to support the Palestinians in the war in Gaza. .
US and British forces responded last week with dozens of air and sea strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Earlier in the day, British maritime security firm Ambrey said a Marshall Islands-flagged, US-owned bulk carrier was hit by a missile while transiting near the port of Aden, Yemen.
According to Ambrey, the ship was assessed as not affiliated with Israel, considering that the attack targeted US interests in response to recent attacks on Houthi military positions.
The latest attack suggests that despite the US response, the Houthis appear ruthless.
An explosion was heard later Monday near the airport in Hodeidah, Yemen, residents said. Hodeidah, however, is some distance from Aden and it was not immediately clear what caused the explosion.
The Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and much of western and northern Yemen, have vowed to continue attacks in the Red Sea after strikes by the US and UK.
The group’s leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, said in a televised address Thursday that any American attack on Yemen would not go unanswered.
The U.S. military said Sunday that a U.S. fighter jet shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired by the Houthis at the USS Laboon in the southern Red Sea.
Source: Terra
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