Authorities reported that a rocket exploded late Tuesday night off the side of a ship traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, in what is believed to be the latest attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The incident occurred approximately 110 kilometers (70 miles) off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida. Fortunately, the crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to their next port of call.
The vessel targeted in the attack appeared to be a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier, with another ship, a Panama-flagged, Emirati-owned chemical tanker, nearby at the time. The Houthis, known for their maritime assaults, have not yet claimed responsibility for this particular attack.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military's Central Command confirmed that an American and an allied warship successfully intercepted five Houthi bomb-carrying drones in the Red Sea on the same night. The drones, originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, were deemed to pose an imminent threat to merchant vessels and naval ships in the region.
Despite ongoing U.S.-led airstrikes, the Houthi rebels have demonstrated their ability to launch significant attacks. Recent incidents include the damaging of a ship in a crucial strait and the downing of a high-value American drone. The Houthis have vowed to continue their assaults until Israel ceases its military operations in the Gaza Strip.
In a separate incident, a Houthi attack on a Belize-flagged ship on February 18 resulted in an 18-mile oil slick, raising concerns about a potential environmental hazard due to the vessel's cargo of fertilizer. The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel, was targeted while transiting through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthi rebels, a Zaydi Shiite group, seized Yemen's capital in 2014 and have been engaged in a protracted conflict with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015. Their attacks at sea are seen as part of their broader strategy to pressure international actors involved in the conflict.
