Houthi rebels strike US cargo vessel with anti-ship ballistic missile in south of Red Sea
Houthi rebels in Yemen hit a US cargo vessel with a missile, said the US military, raising concerns for the unstable region amid the series of attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea region by the militant group since the Israel-Hamas War started on October 7.
The incident took place in the Gulf of Aden, south of the Red Sea, according to the US military.
This comes a day after a Houthi cruise missile targeting a US destroyer was shot down.
The Gibraltar Eagle, flagged under the Marshall Islands, suffered a fire on board during the attack, but fortunately, there were no casualties, and the vessel remained operational, according to the US Central Command.
This is the most recent attack in a string of incidents in recent days.
"Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the M/V Gibraltar Eagle," it posted on X, formerly Twitter.
On Jan. 15 at approximately 4 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and operated container ship. The ship has… pic.twitter.com/gixEMaUiVT
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 15, 2024
"The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey," added CENTCOM, which directs US military operations in the region.
While no statement was issued by the Houthi rebels, a Houthi military and a Yemeni government source told AFP that the insurgents fired three missiles on Monday.
It also comes after Friday's attack by the United States and Britain on scores of sites in rebel-held Yemen.
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