US military reports Houthi attacks on two ships in the Gulf of Aden

In response to the attacks, the US and Britain launched strikes on Houthi militia targets (file).

Los Angeles:

The Yemeni Houthi militia has damaged two merchant ships in rocket attacks in the Gulf of Aden in the last 24 hours. This is part of its ongoing campaign against international shipping, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday.

The Iran-backed Houthis attacked the Tavvishi, a Liberian-flagged, Swiss-owned container ship, with an anti-ship missile, CENTCOM said. The ship was damaged but no crew members were injured, CENTCOM said.

Two missiles fired by the Houthis hit the Norderney, a German cargo ship flying the flags of Antigua and Barbados, CENTCOM said. The ship was damaged but no crew members were injured and the vessel continued its voyage, CENTCOM said.

The Houthis had previously stated that they had attacked Tavvishi and Norderney and claimed to have set the latter on fire.

According to LSEG data, MSC Ship Management is the manager of the Tavvishi. Reuters was initially unable to reach the company for comment. Sunship Schiffahrtskontor, the manager of the Norderney according to LSEG, could also not be reached for comment.

The Houthis control the most populous parts of Yemen and have been attacking commercial vessels in the Gaza Strip since November in solidarity with Palestinians. In another attack, the militants sank one ship, hijacked another and killed three crew members.

Their campaign has disrupted global shipping, forcing ships to avoid the nearby Suez Canal and reroute trade around Africa. It has also fuelled fears that the war between Israel and Hamas could spread and destabilise the Middle East.

In response to the attacks, the United States and Britain launched strikes on Houthi militia targets.

CENTCOM said on Sunday that its forces had also destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle system over the Gulf of Aden, as well as two ground-attack cruise missiles and a rocket launcher in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

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