US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Sunday that Yemen’s Houthi militia group damaged two commercial vessels in missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden in the previous 24 hours as part of its continuous campaign against international ocean transportation.
According to CENTCOM, the Iran-backed Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile at the Tavvishi, a Liberian-flagged container ship owned by Switzerland.
CENTCOM went on to say, “The vessel was damaged but no crew were hurt”.
“Two missiles fired by the Houthis struck the Norderney, a German-owned cargo ship operating under the flags of Antigua and Barbados”, CENTCOM explained.
“That ship sustained damage, but no crew members were injured, and the vessel continued on its journey”, CENTCOM continued.
The Houthis previously claimed to have hit the Tavvishi and Norderney, setting the latter on fire.
Since November, the Houthis, who govern the most populated sections of Yemen, have attacked commerce ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In their latest attack, the extremists sank one ship, seized another, and killed three crew members.
Their strategy has interrupted global shipping by forcing ships to bypass the neighboring Suez Canal and reroute cargo around Africa. The action has also raised concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict could extend and destabilize the entire Middle East.
In reaction to the attacks, the United States and Britain launched airstrikes against Houthi targets.
CENTCOM claimed on Sunday that its forces destroyed an unmanned aerial system over the Gulf of Aden, as well as two land attack cruise missiles and a missile launcher in Houthi-controlled Yemen.
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