A Houthis attack in Yemen targets a ship in more distant waters than many previous attacks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – An attack by The Houthi rebels in Yemen on Monday targeted a ship farther away than those it had targeted in its previous attacks in the Gulf of Aden and may be part of a widening escalation by the group.

The attack occurs as the USA has sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower home after an eight-month deployment leading the American response to attacks by the Houthis, which have drastically reduced shipping traffic on the route vital to markets in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The Houthis say this campaign will continue as long as the war between Israel and Hamas rages in Gaza.

The attack took place on Monday morning in the Gulf of Aden, about 450 kilometers southeast of Nishtun, a city in Yemen’s far west, near the border with Oman, according to the British Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKT). The region has long been held by forces allied with Yemen’s government in exile, which has been battling the Houthis since the rebels seized the capital Sanaa in 2014.

The attack took place northeast of the Yemeni island of Socotra. also owned by allies of the government in exile.

“The captain of a merchant vessel reports an explosion in the immediate vicinity of the vessel,” the UKMTO said. “The crew are safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.”

The US Navy’s Joint Maritime Information Center identified the attacked vessel as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-managed container ship MSC Sarah V, whose destination is Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

“The ship was not hit and all crew on board are safe,” it said. “JMIC believes the ship was likely attacked due to a perceived connection with Israel.”

Another MSC-affiliated ship, the MSC Orion, was launched in May a deep-sea attack to which the Houthis claimed responsibility.

Late Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack in a recorded message. Without giving further details, he claimed they used a new ballistic missile in the attack.

The attack occurred near the outer reaches of the Gulf of Aden, where it flows into the Arabian Sea and ultimately the Indian Ocean. more than 60 attacks This attack would be one of the most far-reaching that the Houthis have launched against ships since November.

In the attack on the MSC Orion in May, the distance from which it was struck led experts to question whether Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, might have carried out the attack. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for attacks that were later classified as Iranian, including the attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields in 2019, which temporarily halved the kingdom’s energy production.

The Houthis have repeatedly claimed, without providing any evidence, that they have attacked ships from even greater distances, although there is no independent confirmation that any of these attacks actually took place.

The rebels have fired more rockets and drones in their campaign, killing a total of four sailors. a ship confiscated And two sunk since November. The Houthis have been under attack by the US since January. a series of strikes on 30 May According to the rebels, at least 16 people were killed and 42 others injured.

The Houthis claim their attacks are against 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.