Ship attack in the Red Sea probably by Yemeni Houthi rebels

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A ship sailing through the Red Sea on Thursday was reportedly hit in an attack believed to have been carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, authorities said, the latest in a campaign against shipping linked to the war between Israel and Hamas.

The ship radioed off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida that it had been hit, private security firm Ambrey first reported. A warship in the area is responding to the attack, Ambrey said.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center later confirmed the attack.

“The attack is believed to have been an improvised explosive device from the water,” the UKMTO said. “The ship and crew are reportedly safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.”

The UKMTO did not provide further details, but the Houthis have used drone boats loaded with bombs to attack ships.

The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. It may take hours or even days for them to admit their attacks.

The rebels have attacked more than 60 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign that has left four sailors dead. Since November, they have captured one ship and sunk two. A US-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January. In a series of attacks on May 30, at least 16 people were killed and 42 others injured, according to the rebels.

The Houthis claim their attacks are directed against ships with links to Israel, the US or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the war between Israel and Hamas – including some heading for Iran.

Late Tuesday, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, military spokesman for the Houthis, said the group was responsible for an attack on Monday on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-managed container ship MSC Sarah V. On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed they used a new hypersonic missile in the attack that targeted a vessel farther away than almost all of their previous attacks in the Gulf of Aden.

The US Central Command also said it had destroyed a Houthi radar facility. Another attack on Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden was probably carried out by the Houthi, but they have not yet claimed responsibility.