Merchant ship damaged in suspected Houthi attack in Red Sea

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A drone believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck and damaged a ship in the Red Sea on Sunday, officials said, the group’s latest attack on the vital maritime corridor.

The group claimed responsibility for several attacks in the area on Saturday.

The attack came after the United States returned the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower after an eight-month deployment in which it led the American response to Houthi attacks.

These attacks have led to a drastic reduction in shipping traffic on the route, which is important for markets in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The Houthis expect this campaign to continue as long as the war between Israel and Hamas rages in the Gaza Strip.

The drone attack occurred at dawn off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said.

It said the ship was damaged but that the sailors on board were “unharmed.” The extent of the damage was not specified but it said the investigation was ongoing.

The private security company Ambrey identified the affected vessel as a Liberian-flagged container ship bound for Qingdao, China.

The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. However, it may take hours or even days for the rebels to admit their attacks.

So far four dead and one sunken ship

The Houthis have carried out more than 60 attacks on specific vessels and fired more missiles and drones as part of their campaign, which has killed four sailors in total. They have hijacked one ship and sunk two since November.

The Houthis have been the target of a US-led airstrike campaign 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 target ships linked 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 those bound for Iran, the Houthis’ biggest backer.