SANAA, Aug 23 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s Houthis, yesterday, claimed responsibility for launching attacks against two ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
“In support of the Palestinians in Gaza, and in response to American-British aggression against our country, we carried out two military operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement, aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
“The first operation targeted the oil tanker, MV Sounion, because the company that operates it has dealt with the Israeli enemy,” he said. “The ship was accurately and directly hit, while sailing in the Red Sea and is at risk of sinking.”
“The other operation targeted the ship, SW North Wind I, also belonging to a company that deals with the Israeli enemy. It was directly and accurately hit, while sailing in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea,” he added.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, MV Sounion, a Greek-flagged oil tanker, and SW North Wind I, a Panama-flagged commercial vessel, were both attacked on Wednesday.
The attacks come, amid ongoing regional tensions. The Houthis have targeted “Israeli-linked” ships since Nov last year, in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, vowing to escalate strikes, until Israel halts its offensive.
In response, the United States and Britain have conducted air and naval strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, since mid-Jan, to prevent disruptions to international shipping lanes. This intervention has led the Houthis to expand their targets, to include U.S. and British commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Yesterday, Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, claimed in a televised speech that, the Houthis had attacked 182 ships, in shipping lanes off Yemen, since Nov, last year.– NNN-SABA
