Suspected Houthi Missile Attack Sets Ship Ablaze In Gulf Of Aden

Illustrative image.

A missile believed to have been launched by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) from Yemen hit a ship in the Gulf of Aden on September 29, setting it on fire.

The ship was hit some 235 kilometers off the coast of the city of Aden in southern Yemen. It reported seeing “a splash and smoke” in the distance, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which described the incident as an attack and urged ships in the area to exercise caution.

The UKMTO said in an advisory notice “a vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile,” adding that “the vessel is reported to be on fire.”

The British private maritime security firm Ambrey also reported the attack on the ship, without providing any additional details.

Earlier, Yemeni media reported a possible missile launch from territory controlled by the Houthis, which indicates that the group was likely responsible.

The Houthis are yet to claim responsibility for the attack. The group targeted over 190 ships with links to Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean since their campaign began nearly two years ago in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Four ships have been sunk by the group so far, including two that came under attack in the Red Sea in July. Another ship was seized by the group.

The latest attack came as the Houthis are expanding their campaign against Israel in response to an ongoing major offensive in Gaza and recently deadly strikes on Yemen.

Early on September 29, a ballistic missile launched by the group from Yemen was intercepted by air defenses over Israel. Sirens sounded in central Israel and in several southern West Bank settlements amid the attack.

Later in the day, the Houthis took responsibility for the attack, claiming to have targeted “several sensitive targets” in the Tel Aviv area using a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile armed with a cluster warhead.

The group also claimed to have launched two drones at Israel, targeting “two vital targets” in the southern port city of Eilat. There were no reports of Houthi drones reaching the country over the past day. This indicates that the drones likely fell short before reaching the country.

The recent attacks will certainly provoke a fierce response from Israel, which seems determined to escalate against the Houthis.

Defense Minister Israel Katz recently vowed to send Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the group, to the “depths of hell” and that his group would lose its hold on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

A deal to end the war in Gaza, which is reported to be nearing, would offer a chance for de-escalation in Yemen. However, Israel could also take this as a chance to escalate against the Houthis even further as it would be able to allocate more military assets to go after the group than before.

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