Suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a Panama-flagged bulk carrier navigating the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, though no injuries or damage were reported, authorities confirmed Monday, according to a report in The Associated Press.
According to the Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational task force led by the US, the bulk carrier Anadolu S was first contacted via VHF radio by an individual claiming to represent Yemeni authorities. The individual demanded the vessel change course.
“The vessel did not comply with the order and continued its transit,” the center stated.
Later, the ship’s captain observed a missile landing near the vessel in the southern Red Sea, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, during an incident late Sunday night, according to an alert issued by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center.
This attack occurred approximately 30 miles west of Yemen’s port city of Mocha.
A second incident followed on Monday, with another missile landing near the vessel about 70 miles southeast of Aden in the Gulf of Aden, UKMTO reported, adding, “The vessel and crew are safe and proceeding to its next port of call.”
While the Houthis have not immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, it is not uncommon for the rebels to delay acknowledging their operations.
The Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza last October, having launched drones towards Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the "Zionist enemy" will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.
Earlier this month, the Iranian-allied Houthis announced they would uphold a maritime blockade on Israeli vessels, citing "intelligence information" suggesting that Israeli shipping firms are selling their assets to other companies.