Yemen’s Houthi group has announced launching attacks on three ships in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, as reported by a military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Monday.
According to Sarea, the attacks targeted the American ship Larego Desert and the Israeli ship MSC Mechela in the Indian Ocean, along with the ship Minerva Lisa in the Red Sea. Additionally, drone attacks were carried out against two US warships in the Red Sea, with Sarea emphasizing the accuracy of the hits. The Houthi group vowed to persist with these attacks until Israel ceases its military actions in the Gaza Strip.
While no public information was available for the first two ships, it was noted that a Marshall Islands-flagged Largo Desert tanker was en route from Durban, South Africa to Beira, Mozambique, as revealed by multiple maritime traffic trackers.
Online tracking data from Marine Traffic indicated that Minerva Lisa, identified as a crude oil tanker, was located in the Red Sea earlier in the day.
This announcement follows the Houthi group’s claim last Friday of launching a missile attack against the Israeli ship Essex in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Houthis have been engaging in anti-ship ballistic missile and drone attacks since November last year, targeting vessels they claim to be linked to Israel transiting the Red Sea. This action is stated to be in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In response to these attacks, a US-British naval coalition stationed in the region has conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since January. However, this has reportedly resulted in an escalation of Houthi attacks, now extending to include US and British commercial vessels and naval ships.
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