Houthi rebel attack damages Belize-flagged ship near Red Sea

A missile attack Houthi rebels in Yemen caused damage to a ship flying the flag of Belize in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, and forced the crew to abandon ship, authorities said Monday. Another ship was attacked later in the Gulf of Aden, according to reports.

The Iranian-backed Houthis also claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone, something that was not initially acknowledged by US forces in the region. However, the Houthis have shot down US drones in the past.

For its part, the US military announced new strikes against the rebels, one of which hit the first identified Houthi underwater drone since they began attacking international merchant traffic in November.

The ship attacked on Sunday by the Houthis suffered damage after “an explosion in close proximity to the ship,” according to the British Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO).

“Military authorities report that the crew has abandoned the vessel,” the UKMTO said. “The boat is anchored and the entire crew is safe.”

Houthi Brigadier General Yahya Saree issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack and stated that the ship “is now at risk of possible sinking.”

“The ship suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete stop,” Saree said. “During the operation we made sure that the ship’s crew came out safely.”

Private security firm Ambrey said the cargo ship, registered in the United Kingdom and operated by a Lebanese firm, was headed to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates.

MarineTraffic.com tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press identified the ship as the Rubymar. Her Beirut-based manager could not immediately be reached. The Houthis also later said it was the Rubymar.

Ambrey described the vessel as partially loaded with goods, although it was not immediately clear what it was carrying. The ship had turned off its tracking device as it passed through the Persian Gulf this month.

Later on Monday, the UKMTO and Ambrey said a second vessel had been attacked in the Gulf of Aden. Ambrey described that ship as an American-owned, Greek-flagged cargo ship headed to Aden, Yemen, from Argentina. Those details, along with maritime traffic data, identified it as the Sea Champion. It was not possible to contact her managers at first.

Since November, rebels have attacked ships several times in the Red Sea and its surrounding waters over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They have often attacked ships with tenuous or no clear ties to Israel, endangering a crucial trade route between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. At least one of the ships was carrying goods to Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor.

In another incident, Saree also claimed that Houthi forces had shot down an MQ-9 drone near the Yemeni Red Sea port of Hodeida. He did not present evidence.

“Anti-aircraft defenses were able to shoot down an American aircraft — MQ-9 — with a suitable missile when it was carrying out hostile missions against our country on behalf of the Zionist entity,” Saree said.

The US military did not immediately confirm the loss of any drones in the region. However, the Houthis have surface-to-air missile systems capable of shooting down American drones flying at high altitude. The Pentagon acknowledged in November the loss of an MQ-9, shot down by rebels over the Red Sea.

Since Houthi rebels in Yemen took over the country’s north and its capital, Sanaa, in 2014, the U.S. military has lost four drones in clashes with the rebels: in 2017, 2019 and this year.

For its part, the US Army Central Command reported five airstrikes against Houthi military equipment. Those attacks hit mobile anti-ship missiles, an unmanned vessel capable of carrying explosives and an unmanned submersible, according to Central Command.

“This is the first use of an (unmanned underwater vehicle) by the Houthis since the attacks began on October 23,” the military center said.