Two ships under fire

Houthis report new attacks on ships in Red Sea

The Houthi rebels in Yemen report that they have targeted two ships in the Red Sea. A spokesman for the rebels stated on television that the ships ‘Star Nasia’ and ‘Morning Tide’ had been attacked.

According to owner Furadino Shipping, pieces of metal were found on the deck of the ‘Morning Tide’ in the morning. This happened after an explosion occurred at night a few dozen meters from the vessel. An employee compared the explosion to Bloomberg news agency with fireworks. The owner of the ‘Star Nasia’, the Greek Star Bulk, has not yet responded. 

The Houthis, who have ties to Iran, have been carrying out attacks on international shipping for months. They do this in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip attacked by Israel. The insurgents initially said they were targeting ships en route to Israel, but have since scaled up their attacks.

The ongoing attacks on ships are disrupting freight transport on an important sea route. The United States and the United Kingdom responded last month by launching attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen. The insurgents control a significant part of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.