A missile fired by Huthi rebels in Yemen hit a Norwegian-flagged ship in the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, according to the US military on Monday.
The oil tanker Strinda was hit by a cruise missile fired from an area of Yemen controlled by the Huthis, the US Military Command for the Middle East (Centcom) said, noting that the attack caused no casualties.
CENTCOM statement on missile attacks in Bab-el-Mandeb
On December 11 around 4:00 PM EST, the motor tanker STRINDA was attacked by what was reportedly an Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen while passing through the… pic.twitter.com/OJDoubAU2D– US Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 12, 2023
According to the British maritime safety service UKMTO, the incident took place near the Yemeni town of Mokha, in the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb.
A fire broke out on board and the U.S. destroyer USS Mason came to the ship’s aid, Centcom said.
Before this information was released, Huthis’ military spokesman had indicated on the social network X (formerly Twitter) that he would make a major announcement in the “coming hours”.
On Saturday, Houthi rebels threatened to attack any ship in the Red Sea bound for Israel if the people of the Gaza Strip did not receive emergency aid.
All “vessels connected to Israel or carrying goods” to Israel are not welcome in the Red Sea, a strategic area located between northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, they warned in a statement.
In the hours that followed, The French frigate Languedoc, deployed to the Red Sea on a maritime security mission, shot down two drones “that headed directly towards the ship”, the general staff said.
According to a military source, the French frigate fired anti-aircraft missiles to shoot down the drones. Firing surface-to-air missiles in self-defense is a first for the French navy.
Following this incident in the Red Sea, the French Foreign Ministry called for “avoiding any regional conflict”.
It is also the first time that a French military ship has been targeted by the Huthis since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, triggered by an attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on Israeli territory, on October 7.
Hamas, a member of the so-called “axis of resistance” against Israel along with Lebanese Hezbollah and the Huthis, welcomed the Yemeni rebels’ “brave and bold” decision.
Source: DN
