Houthi rebels' attack damages Belize-flagged ship in key strait to Red Sea

A missile attack by Yemens Houthi rebels that damaged a Belizeflagged ship travelling through the Bab elMandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has forced the crew to abandon the vessel authorities said on Monday Another ship reportedly came twice under attack in the Gulf of Aden The Iranbacked Houthis also claimed they shot down an American MQ9 Reaper drone something not immediately acknowledged by US forces in the region However the Houthis have downed US drones beforeMeanwhile the US military said it was conducting new airstrikes targeting the rebels including one that targeted the first Houthi underwater drone seen since they began launching attacks on international shipping in November The ship targeted in the Houthi attack on Sunday reported sustaining damage after an explosion in close proximity to the vessel the British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reportedMilitary authorities report crew have abandoned the vessel the UKMTO said Vessel at anchor and all crew are safe Houthi Brig Gen Yahya Saree issued a statement claiming the attack saying the vessel later sunk There was no independent confirmation the vessel sank The ship suffered catastrophic damages and came to a complete halt Saree said During the operation we made sure that the ships crew exited safely The private security firm Ambrey reported the Britishregistered Lebaneseoperated cargo ship had been on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab EmiratesShiptracking data from MarineTrafficcom analyzed by The Associated Press identified the vessel targeted as the Rubymar Its Beirutbased manager could not be reached for comment The Houthis later also identified the ship as the Rubymar as did the US militarys Central CommandCentral Command said the attack involved two antiship ballistic missiles which saw one struck the Rubymar Ambrey described the ship as being partially laden with cargo but it wasnt immediately clear what it had been carrying The ship had turned off its Automatic Identification System tracker while in the Persian Gulf early this monthLater Monday the UKMTO and Ambrey said a second vessel came under attack in the Gulf of Aden Ambrey described the vessel as a Greekflagged USowned bulk carrier bound for Aden Yemen and carrying grain from Argentina The same ship then came under attack again later in the dayThose details combined with shiptracking data identified the vessel as the Sea Champion Its managers could not be immediately reached The Houthis later claimed the attack but instead said it targeted a second vessel other than the Sea Champion in that assaultSince November the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over Israels war targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip They have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel imperiling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia the Mideast and Europe Those vessels have included at least one with cargo for Iran its main benefactorIn a separate attack Saree also claimed that Houthi forces shot down an MQ9 drone near Yemens port city of Hodeida on the Red Sea He offered no evidence for the claim The Houthi air defences were able to shoot down an American plane MQ9 with a suitable missile while it was carrying out hostile missions against our country on behalf of the Zionist entity Saree saidThe US military did not immediately confirm the loss of any drones in the region However the Houthis have surfacetoair missile systems capable of shooting down highflying American drones In November the Pentagon acknowledged the loss of an MQ9 shot down by the rebels over the Red Sea Since Yemens Houthi rebels seized the countrys north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014 the US military has lost four drones to shootdowns by the rebels in 2017 2019 and this yearMeanwhile the US militarys Central Command reported it carried out five airstrikes targeting Houthi military equipment Those strikes targeted mobile antiship cruise missiles an explosivecarrying drone boat and an unmanned underwater vessel Central Command said This is the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV since attacks began in October 23 Central Command saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever