Houthi missile strike sets British cargo ship ablaze, leaves 1 injured: US military
A Houthi rebel missile strike set a British-owned cargo ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden after the Iran-backed terror group announced it would ban US, UK and Israeli ships from operating in the Red Sea, the US military said.
One person was injured after the Palau-flagged MV Islander was struck by a missile fired by the Houthis on Thursday morning, according to US Central Command.
The MV Islander was bound for Egypt and allegedly flying under a banner that read, “SYRIAN CREW ON BOARD,” likely to protect the ship from the terrorists plaguing the international trade route.
“The missile attack led to a fire onboard and coalition military assets were responding to the incident,” the private security firm Ambrey said in a statement.
The attack on the UK cargo ship came as the Yemen-based terrorist group sent out a statement formally banning American, British and Israeli entities from sailing in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea.
The statement was delivered to shipping insurers and firms operating in the waters by Houthi’s newly formed Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center.
“The Humanitarian Operations Center was established in Sanaa to coordinate the safe and peaceful passage of ships and vessels that have no connection to Israel,” a senior Houthi official told Reuters on Thursday.
Since November, the terror group has vowed to launch attacks against Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea as a show of support for Hamas, claiming the violence will only end once the Jewish State withdraws from Gaza.
The attacks in the Red Sea have since grown to include international shipping vessels, with US and UK-lined ships targeted, leading the nations to launch a series of airstrikes against the terrorists in Yemen.
Central Command confirmed over the weekend that it carried out a self-defense strike in Yemen against an unmanned underwater vessel, the first time since the Houthis began attacking.
The rebel group has vowed to launch more underwater attacks after issuing its ban order.
Just hours before Thursday’s attack in the Gulf of Aden, US aircraft and warships had intercepted six Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command.
Israel’s Arrow missile defense system also appeared to intercept an attack from the Houthi rebels fired over the Eilat port early Thursday.
Although Israeli officials did not confirm where the missile was fired from, the IDF noted that it came from the Red Sea area and was heading towards the Jewish State.
“The target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians,” the IDF said of the intercepted attack.
The Houthi rebels have not yet claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attacks.
With Post wires
