Houthi fighters in Yemen have attacked two American and one Israeli ship, the group's military spokesman said, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA, noting that this is the first such attack in more than two weeks.
The group, which is allied with Iran, said it attacked the US ship Maersk Yorktown, a US destroyer in the Gulf of Aden and the Israeli ship Veracruz. in the Indian Ocean, spokesman Yahya Saria said in a televised address. Yemen's Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in a campaign they say is a show of solidarity with Palestinians fighting Israel in Gaza. "The Yemeni armed forces confirm that they will continue to obstruct Israeli shipping or any shipping directed to the ports of occupied Palestine in the Red and Arabian Seas, as well as in the Indian Ocean,", Sarea said.
The British maritime security company "Ambri" said earlier yesterday that it was aware of an incident southwest of the port city of Aden, an area where the Houthis often attack ships they believe are linked to Israel or the United States. The vessel reported an "explosion in the water" about 133 km (72 nautical miles) east-southeast of Djibouti, the updated data said.
The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing companies to divert to longer and more expensive voyages around southern Africa. In response, the US and Great Britain struck Houthi targets in Yemen, Reuters recalls.