
Tuesday 19th March 2024, Yemen’s Houthi forces declared that they launched missiles at a US ship, named “Mado,” which is in the Red Sea. They also fired missiles toward Israel’s city of Eilat. Yahya Sarea, Houthi military spokesman made this statement on the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
Houthis didn’t disclose the exact attacks timing. This comes after the US Central Command conducted what they stated or described as “self-defense” strikes in Yemen, which was targeting Houthi-controlled areas. They destroyed anti-ship missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and weapons storage containers.
In response, the Houthi television accused the US-British naval coalition of launching airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. However, locals mentioned that many of these airstrikes hit empty places.
This incident follows previous attacks earlier this month. After Houthi missile attack, a US ship was damaged and abandoned, while a British ship drowned in the Red Sea as a result of a similar attack.
Since last year (November 2023), the Houthis targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. And they claim these attacks are retaliation for Israeli actions in Gaza. The US and Britain have been airstriking Houthi targets in Yemen, but the attacks appear to have escalated rather than reduced.
The Red Sea route is one of the major route for global trade. Because of this onlgoing conflict, major shipping companies changed their routes to avoid any conflict or damage. Which highlights the growing concern over the saftey and security of maritime activities in the region.
Things in Yemen are still very uncertain, with tensions getting worse between the Houthi fighters and international naval actions. This makes people worry a lot about how stable the area is and if it’s safe for ships to travel through.