Yemen's Houthis claim responsibility for attacking 2 cargo ships

SANAA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for attacking two cargo ships in the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean.

"The naval forces of our armed forces carried out a second targeting operation for the ship TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR in the Red Sea with an unmanned boat, which resulted in a direct hit on the ship," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

"The missile force of our armed forces carried out an operation targeting the ship STOLT SEQUOIA in the Indian Ocean with several cruise missiles, and the operation achieved its objectives successfully," he said.

The attacks come in response to what Houthi claimed their owner companies' violation of the group's entry ban into Israeli ports, according to the spokesman.

Speaking of the U.S. aircraft carrier Eisenhower, which had just left the region, Yahya claimed that a series of Houthi attacks drove the vessel away.

He reiterated that his group's attacks would continue until Israel stops its war in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.

Earlier in the day, a Yemeni government official told Xinhua that the merchant vessel TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR, flying the Liberian flag, was struck twice by the Houthi group successively on Saturday in the Gulf of Aden, and on early Sunday, in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah.

The official said the ship was damaged but was still proceeding to its destination with no injuries reported from the crew.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed receiving a report of an incident approximately 65 nautical miles west of Hodeidah.

The UKMTO's statement indicated that the master of a merchant vessel reported an impact from an uncrewed aerial system, which resulted in ship damage. All crew members were reported safe, and the ship was said to be proceeding to its next port of call.

These attacks are part of a broader campaign by the Houthis, which began in November 2023, targeting ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The group claims to be targeting vessels associated with Israel or en route to Israeli ports, citing the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip as justification.

The ongoing conflict along the vital shipping lanes of the Red Sea and surrounding waters continues to raise concerns about maritime security and global trade implications.