Watan-The Houthi group in Yemen released a video statement on Wednesday by its military spokesperson, Colonel Yahya Saree, revealing details of the targeting of a cargo ship in the Red Sea that was heading towards Israel and disclosing its identity.
The U.S. military and the UK Maritime Security Agency (UKMTO) had announced the targeting operation against the ship flying the flag of Malta, without causing injuries or damage.
The Houthis disclosed details of the ship targeting in the Red Sea. In a statement by Yahya Saree, broadcasted on his account on the “Ex” platform, he stated: “In a victory for the plight of the Palestinian people facing aggression and siege, the naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces executed an operation targeting the ship CMA CGM TAGE, which was heading to the occupied ports of Palestine.”
Unusually, the Houthi military spokesperson did not confirm the success of the operation and did not reveal whether they carried out this attack on the ship using missiles or drones.
Colonel Yahya Saree stated, “The targeting operation came after the ship’s crew refused to respond to calls from the Yemeni naval forces, including warning signals.”
بيانٌ صادرٌ عنِ القواتِ المسلحةِ اليمنية
بسمِ اللهِ الرحمنِ الرحيم
قالَ تعالى: { فَمَنِ ٱعۡتَدَىٰ عَلَیۡكُمۡ فَٱعۡتَدُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِ بِمِثۡلِ مَا ٱعۡتَدَىٰ عَلَیۡكُمۡۚ } صدقَ اللهُ العظيم
انتصاراً لمظلوميةِ الشعبِ الفلسطينيِّ الذي يتعرضُ للعدوان والحصارِ.
نفذتِ القواتُ البحريةُ… pic.twitter.com/Dx7hkIX6AC— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) January 3, 2024
The Houthi group, which disrupts navigation in the Red Sea, affirmed its commitment to “preventing Israeli ships or those heading to the occupied ports of Palestine from navigating in the Red and Arabian Seas until the entry of what our brothers in Gaza need in terms of food and medicine,” according to the statement.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles towards several commercial ships in the southern Red Sea, but they fell into the water near them “without causing damage.”
The company owning the targeted ship suspended operations
The UK Maritime Security Agency (UKMTO), managed by the Royal Navy, stated that explosions occurred near a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea between the coasts of Yemen and Eritrea without causing injuries or damage.
The French shipping company, CMA CGM, which owns the targeted ship, announced that it would double its fees for shipping operations between Asia and the Mediterranean, starting from January 15, in response to the Houthi attacks on ships.
The Houthis threaten the most important navigation route
With 12% of global trade passing through it, according to the International Maritime Shipping Chamber, the Red Sea serves as a “fast route” connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, thus linking Europe to Asia.
Houthi attacks have forced many commercial ships to divert their course to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, a long and costly route.
It’s worth noting that this attack is the twenty-fourth by the Houthi group targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea since mid-November, according to a statement from the U.S. military.