London: In a concerning escalation of maritime insecurity, Ambrey, a prominent British maritime security firm, reported on Sunday that three ships had come under attack off the coast of Yemen within a span of just 24 hours.
While no immediate claim was made regarding the perpetrators, these attacks coincide with an intensified campaign by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, targeting vessels suspected of having ties to Israel amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Ambrey’s reports indicated that one vessel was targeted “southwest of Mukalla”, a major port city in Yemen, marking the second attack of the day recorded by the maritime security company.
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Earlier, Ambrey had disclosed that a projectile had landed in close proximity to another ship southwest of the port of Aden in Yemen. Fortunately, no damage was reported to the vessel, and the crew was confirmed to be safe, as stated by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
Sunday’s assaults come on the heels of a separate incident where two missiles were fired at a ship southwest of Hodeidah, another key Yemeni port city, according to both UKMTO and Ambrey. While one missile was intercepted by US-led coalition forces, the second narrowly missed its target, UKMTO reported.
Since November, Houthi rebels have intensified their missile and drone strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, citing solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict.
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In response, the United States, leading a multinational naval coalition aimed at safeguarding Red Sea shipping, has conducted multiple strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-January. British warplanes have also participated in several of these strikes.
In a recent televised address, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi revealed that over 400 strikes by US and British forces on Yemen since January resulted in the deaths of 37 individuals and injuries to 30 others. However, he did not specify whether the casualties were civilians or combatants, vowing to persist with strikes on Red Sea shipping.
The situation underscores the escalating tensions in Yemen’s maritime domain, posing significant challenges to regional stability and international maritime security efforts.
