Houthi missile attack damages British ship in Gulf of Aden

The screenshot captured from a video on Feb. 19, 2024 shows Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea making a statement in Sanaa, Yemen. The Houthi group in Yemen on Monday claimed responsibility for the missile attack against what they described as a "British ship" on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden. (Xinhua)

SANAA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Houthi group in Yemen said on Monday that they have fired missiles at a British ship in the Gulf of Aden.

"Our naval forces have attacked the British ship, Rubymar, in the Gulf of Aden with a number of missiles," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement aired by his group's satellite TV channel al-Masirah.

"The ship suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete halt," said Sarea, adding the ship is now at risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden.

"Our attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will not stop unless (Israeli) aggression on Gaza stops," the Houthi spokesperson said.

He also claimed that his group had shot down a U.S. MQ9 drone off Hodeidah port city, which is under Houthi control, without revealing the exact time.

Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in an updated advisory posted on the social media platform X that the crew of the attacked vessel, which it didn't identify, had abandoned the vessel, adding that "military authorities" rushed to the scene to assist.

The British maritime agency said the attack on the vessel occurred on Sunday 35 nautical miles south of al-Mukha, located south of Hodeidah port city.

Ambrey, another British maritime security agency, confirmed that the attacked vessel was a British-registered bulk cargo vessel.

The U.S. Central Command said on Sunday it had conducted defensive strikes against five Houthi targets in the Red Sea on Saturday, including mobile missiles and underwater drones ready to be launched. It said it was the first time it had observed the Houthis possessing such drones, which posed a threat to shipping and regional stability.

The U.S.-led coalition has conducted dozens of airstrikes against Houthi targets in northern Yemen since January, saying the strikes aimed to degrade Houthi military capabilities.

However, the Houthis have said the U.S. military airstrikes have had no impact and responded by launching more drone and missile attacks against U.S. and British navy ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.