The Houthis say a ship in the Gulf of Aden was hit by ballistic missiles in the first attack since the Israeli raid on the port of Hodeidah.
Yemen's Houthi armed group says it attacked a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden, claiming its first attack on a vessel since Israel carried out an airstrike on the port city of Hodeidah on July 20.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement Sunday that the MV Groton was attacked by ballistic missiles.
The U.K.-based maritime trading company and British security firm Ambrey said the ship was attacked by a missile on Saturday 125 nautical miles (230 kilometers) east of the Yemeni port of Aden. Both companies said no water ingress or oil leaks were observed.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a multinational coalition overseen by the U.S. Navy, said all crew members on board were safe and “the vessel was reported to have diverted to a nearby port.”
The Groton had left Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Greek officials on the Groton did not respond to a request for comment.
The attack is the first since an apparent lull following Israel's assault on Hodeidah, which came a day after a drone launched by the Iran-allied group struck Israel's economic hub of Tel Aviv.
JMIC said the ship “was targeted because other ships within its company structure made recent calls in Israel.”
The resumption of Houthi attacks follows the killings last week of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and a Hezbollah military commander in Beirut, amid renewed concerns the war could spiral into a regional conflict.
The Houthis have launched attacks on international ships near Yemen since November in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's war in Gaza.
The rebels, who control much of Yemen's densely populated northern and western areas, including the capital Sanaa, have attacked more than 70 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign that has killed four sailors. They have captured one ship and sunk two. Other missiles and drones have been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or landed before reaching their targets.
The attacks have prompted US and British airstrikes and disrupted global trade as shipowners divert their vessels from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to navigate the longer route around the southern tip of Africa.
