Dubai: A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Red Sea on Thursday, officials said, as the militants increase their missile fire targeting Israel.
The attack off the coast of Hodeida follows an Israeli strike last week that killed the rebels’ prime minister along with several officials. The Houthis have been using cluster munitions in the missile attacks on Israel, which open up with smaller explosives that can be harder to intercept, raising the chances of strikes as Israel prepares for a new ground offensive in its war on Hamas that’s decimated the Gaza Strip.
The attack on Thursday saw an “unknown projectile” land off the side of a vessel as electronic interference was particularly intense, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. It added that the ship and crew were safe after the apparent assault.
The private maritime security firm Ambrey also acknowledged the apparent attack, as did the firm EOS Risk Group, which noted the Houthis have launched multiple missile attacks targeting Israel in recent days as well.