Watan-The Houthi group in Yemen revealed its targeting of two Israeli ships in the Bab el Mandeb, namely the ‘United Explorer’ and the ‘Number Nine.’ The first ship was targeted with a naval missile, while the second was targeted with a maritime drone.
Earlier, the U.S. Pentagon confirmed that an American warship and several merchant ships were attacked on Sunday in the Red Sea, potentially marking a significant escalation in a series of naval attacks in the Middle East related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
A statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces, conveyed by Brigadier General Yahya Saree, indicated that the operation ‘was carried out in accordance with the directives of Commander Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, in response to the demands of our great Yemeni people and the calls of the free Arab and Islamic nations to fully support the choices of the Palestinian people and their steadfast resistance.
بيانٌ صادرٌ عنِ القواتِ المسلحةِ اليمنية
بسمِ اللهِ الرحمنِ الرحيم
قال تعالى( { قَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ یُعَذِّبۡهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِأَیۡدِیكُمۡ وَیُخۡزِهِمۡ وَیَنصُرۡكُمۡ عَلَیۡهِمۡ وَیَشۡفِ صُدُورَ قَوۡمࣲ مُّؤۡمِنِینَ } صدق الله العظيمتنفيذاً لتوجيهاتِ السيدِ القائدِ عبدِالملك بدرِالدين… pic.twitter.com/QjkAEbyF96
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) December 3, 2023
Prohibition of Israeli Ships
The statement highlighted that the targeting operation occurred after the Israeli ships rejected warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces. It emphasized that the Houthi forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating in the Red and Arabian Seas until Israeli aggression against Gaza comes to a halt. The Houthi group reiterated its warning to all Israeli-affiliated ships that they will be legitimate targets if they violate the directives outlined in this statement and previous statements issued by the group.
Possible Explosion Earlier on Sunday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported drone activity, including a ‘possible explosion,’ near the Bab el Mandeb coming from the direction of Yemen.
According to euronews, the Pentagon did not specify the location it believes the fire originated from. Nevertheless, Houthi rebels, supported by Iran in Yemen, have been conducting a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea. In addition to launching drones and missiles targeting Israel while engaging in a war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
UKMTO Advisory 001/DEC/2023
Category: Irregular Activityhttps://t.co/a6eYax4Zi0#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/mZyjJ5ZZ8F
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) December 3, 2023
Targeting Global Shipping
An unnamed U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, stated that the attack began around 10 a.m. local time in Sanaa, Yemen, and lasted for up to five hours.”