JERUSALEM — Missiles suspected to have been fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels landed some distance from a ship sailing in the Red Sea on Friday, a private security company said.
The attack follows an increase in attacks launched by the Houthis in recent days after a relative pause in their months-long campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Private security firm Ambrey said three missiles could be seen in the attack, which landed closest to a Panama-flagged, Seychelles-registered oil tanker that it described as “engaged in trade linked to Russia.” The ship was traveling from Primorsk, Russia, to Vadinar, India, Ambrey said.
Those details pertained to a tanker called Andromeda Star, which had previously broadcast its location off Mocha, Yemen, based on ship tracking data.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the missile launch, although it usually takes several hours for the rebels to acknowledge their attacks. The British Army’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center also reported the attack off Mocha.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seizing one ship and sinking another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.
Houthi attacks have eased in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a US-led airstrike campaign in Yemen and shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has slowed due to the threat. US officials have speculated that the rebels could be running out of weapons as a result of the US-led campaign against them and the constant launching of drones and missiles in recent months.
However, since Wednesday there have been at least two attacks claimed by the Houthis. The first targeted the MV Yorktown, a US-flagged vessel owned and operated with 18 American and four Greek crew members. Another pointed to the MSC Darwin.
The Houthis have said they will continue their attacks until Israel ends its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 1. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 more hostage.
Most of the ships attacked by the Houthis have had little or no direct connection to Israel, the United States or other nations involved in the war. The rebels have also fired missiles toward Israel, although they have largely missed their targets or been intercepted.