Yemen rebels say attacked two ships in the Red Sea
by AFP Staff Writers
Dubai (AFP) July 15, 2024

Yemen's Huthi rebels on Monday said they targeted two tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones after a British security agency reported several attacks in the troubled waterway.

In a statement on social media platform X, Huthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree identified the two ships as BENTLEY I, a Panama-flagged oil tanker, and the CHIOS LION, a Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker.

The BENTLEY I was attacked with "drone boats, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ballistic missiles", while the CHIOS LION was targeted with uncrewed surface vessels, Saree said.

They were targeted because their owners had used Israeli ports, according to the rebel spokesman.

Earlier on Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two separate incidents in the Red Sea.

A ship sailing southwest of the port city of Hodeidah came under attack from three small vessels, two of which had three people each on board, UKMTO said.

The third skiff was unmanned, according to the agency, which is run by Britain's Royal Navy.

The "unmanned small craft collided with the vessel twice and the two manned small craft fired at the vessel", UKMTO said.

"After 15 minutes, the small craft aborted the attack. The vessel and crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call."

The same ship later reported four missiles exploding in "close proximity", UKMTO said, adding that the strikes did not cause any injuries or damage.

British maritime security firm Ambrey also reported the attack, saying the merchant vessel had a private armed security team on board.

In a separate incident on Monday, an uncrewed surface vessel "impacted" a merchant vessel 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, UKMTO said.

The attack caused "some damage and light smoke", it said, adding that "the vessel and crew are reported safe and proceeding to next port of call".

Huthi drone and missile strikes have taken place despite the deployment of Western naval forces to protect ships in the Red Sea, a vital waterway for global trade.

Since January, the United States and Britain have carried out repeated retaliatory strikes on Huthi targets in Yemen.

On Sunday, the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed several Huthi drones.

"These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure," it said in a post on social media platform X.

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