Missile hits US cargo ship off Yemen coast

A missile launched by the Houthis from Yemen hit a US-owned cargo ship this Monday, the day after the rebel group attacked a US destroyer in the Red Sea.

“At around 4:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT), Houthi militiamen supported by Iran fired an anti-ship ballistic missile (…) and hit the ‘M/V Gibraltar Eagle’” a cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag, owned by the United States, reported the US Military Command in the Middle East (Centcom).

“The ship reported no injuries or significant damage and continued its journey,” he added.

According to the British Maritime Safety Agency (UKMTO), the ship “was hit from above by a missile,” in the southeast of the Yemeni port of Aden.

The Houthi rebelswhich control large parts of Yemen, have multiplied attacks against ships they consider linked to Israel in the Red Sea in recent weeks.

The attacks, carried out in solidarity with the Gazans, disrupted maritime traffic in this key area for global trade.

According to Ambrey, a British intelligence company specialized in maritime risks, the ship hit off Aden was heading towards the Suez Canal.

The company stated that the ship is not linked to Israel, but it was rammed, “in response to US military strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen.”

The rebels did not claim responsibility for the attack, but a Houthi military source said that “They launched three missiles” from different regions of the center and south of the country.

The US military said it had “shot down (…) an anti-ship ballistic missile fired towards the maritime routes of the south of the Red Sea”which fell in Yemeni territory.

In response to the multiplication of attacks in the Red Sea, US and British forces bombed Houthi positions in the country on Friday. The rebel group continued its attacks despite the bombings.

The US military announced Sunday that it had shot down a cruise missile targeting a destroyer in the southern Red Sea.