In a suspected Houthis attack on Tuesday, a drone boat loaded with explosives struck a commercial ship in the Red Sea, according to the British military and private security officials.
This incident, along with another missile attack earlier in the day, appears to be the Houthis’ first actions against commercial shipping in recent weeks.
The surge in hostilities comes as the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict threatens to spill over into a broader regional war.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility, however, they often delay acknowledgment of their operations.
A fighter of the Houthi group patrols the Galaxy Leader Vessel as he guards it, on the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on May 12, 2024, in the Red Sea, Yemen. In a separate incident on Tuesday, a suspected Houthis attack with a drone boat struck a commercial ship in the Red Sea.
Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
The drone attack took place approximately 70 miles from the Yemeni port city of Hodeida.
A ship’s captain reported seeing four “splashes” near the vessel, which the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said could have been missiles or drones.
Shortly after, a second attack was reported further north.
The private intelligence firm Ambrey confirmed two separate incidents and later identified the device involved in the initial assault as a drone boat, a weapon increasingly used by Houthi forces.
The drone punctured one of the ship’s ballast tanks, which are critical for controlling buoyancy.
Past Houthi attacks have targeted the waterline of ships to disable them.
The ship, which had armed private security personnel on board, was headed north toward the Suez Canal.
It remains unclear if both attacks targeted the same vessel.
Also on Tuesday, Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree announced that the rebels had launched drone strikes targeting Israel, in a prerecorded video statement.
These claims have not been verified by Israeli sources, which are currently focused on rocket fire from Hezbollah.
The Houthis have a history of exaggerating their military successes.
The Red Sea has become a volatile zone for commercial shipping since the Houthis began targeting vessels in the waterway.
Previously a critical passage for over $1 trillion in global trade annually, the Red Sea has become increasingly dangerous to shipping.
Since the Gaza conflict began last October, the Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and seizing another, resulting in the deaths of four sailors.
While some missiles have been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition, others have struck their targets, including ships unrelated to the Israeli conflict.
Despite their assertions of targeting vessels linked to Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom to protest against Israel’s campaign in Gaza, many of the ships attacked by the Houthis have had little or no connection to the conflict, with some even being bound for Iran.
The Houthis’ most recent known attack on a commercial vessel occurred on September 2.
Last week, they claimed responsibility for targeting American warships.
According to a U.S. official, the rebels fired more than six ballistic and antiship cruise missiles, along with two drones, at three U.S. Navy ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
All were intercepted by the Navy destroyers.
In retaliation for Houthi missile launches targeting Israel, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on Hodeida over the weekend.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
