Yemen’s Houthis say they launched missiles, rockets at Western ships

The Iran-aligned Houthis said they targeted a British ship and a number of US frigates in the Red Sea, while in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean it had attacked two Israeli vessels heading to Israeli ports.

Earlier, British security firm Ambrey said it had received information indicating that a vessel was attacked on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden about 102 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla in Yemen.

“Vessels in the vicinity were advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity,” the firm said. It did not say who was responsible for the attack or give further details.

Separately, a missile landed near a vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday but there was no damage to the ship or injuries to crew in the incident, 59 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.

“The Master of the vessel reports a missile impacted the water in close proximity to the vessel’s port quarter,” UKMTO said in an advisory note. “No damage to the vessel reported and crew reported safe,” it added.

It did not say who fired the missile or give further details. It was not immediately clear if the attacks reported by the British agencies were the same as the latest incidents claimed by the Houthis.

Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. The US and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

The group has previously declared any Israel-linked ship as a target, and that they will not stop until Israel ceases its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.