Published: Wednesday, May 29, 2024
DUBAI (United Arab Emirates) — Two missile attacks damaged a Marshall Islands flagged, Greek owned ship in the Red Sea, off the coasts of Yemen on Tuesday. A private security company said radio traffic indicated that the vessel had taken on water following the strikes.
No group has claimed responsibility but suspicion falls on Yemen’s Houthi Rebels who have launched several attacks against ships in response to Israel’s conflict with Hamas on the Gaza Strip.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center of the British military, the first attack on bulk carrier Laax occurred off the port of Hodeida, in the southern Red Sea near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links it to Gulf of Aden. The UKMTO reported that the ship “suffered damage” during the attack and then later reported “an impact in the water close to the vessel.”
The center reported that “the crew is safe and the vessel will be proceeding to the next port of dock,”
Ambrey, a private security company, said that the ship reported to radio having “sustained damages in the cargo hold and taking on water.”
The UKMTO announced late Tuesday night that the Laax had “sustained additional damage” during a second missile strike near Mokha, in the Bab el-Mandeb.
Central Command, the U.S. Military’s Central Command, also identified the target ship as Laax. The ship was reported to be heading towards Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
Grehel Ship Management, based in Piraeus (Greece), manages the Laax. The man who answered the telephone at Grehel refused to answer any questions about the attack, and an email request for comment wasn’t returned.
Central Command has separately stated that it destroyed five Houthi Drones over the Red Sea during the attacks.
It can take hours or days for rebels to acknowledge their attacks.
In recent months, the Houthis launched attacks against shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and demanded that Israel end the Gaza war, in which more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas-led militants launched an attack on Israel in October, killing around 1,200 people. They also took 250 hostages.
According to the United States Maritime Administration, since November, rebels have launched over 50 attacks against shipping. They’ve seized a vessel and sunk a second.
The threat has led to a decline in shipping through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. The frequency of Houthi strikes has decreased in recent weeks. However, the rebels claim to have shot down U.S. spy drones.
Yemen has been in a state of war since 2014, when rebels took over the capital Sanaa. In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition joined the war in support of Yemen’s exiled Government. However, the conflict has been at a standstill for years while Riyadh attempts to reach a peaceful deal with the Houthis.
The Prime Minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized exiled government, speaking in Dubai on Tuesday, urged the international community to look past Houthi claims that they were supporting the Palestinians by their attacks.
Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, speaking at the Arab Media Forum said: “The Houthis exploiting a just cause like the Palestinian cause and what’s happening in Gaza is a way to avoid the benefits of peace. It can lead to serious complications.” Peace is a strategic decision. We must achieve peace. We must end the war. It is essential. Our people require security and stability. “The region needs stability.”