A drone hit a commercial ship in the Indian Ocean this Saturday, causing damage but no injuries, two maritime agencies revealed, one of which stated that the ship was linked to Israel.
The attack off the Indian coast, for which responsibility was not immediately claimed, caused a fire on board, which was later extinguished, according to the British maritime safety agency.
The British company Ambrey said that “the tanker was affiliated with Israel.”
The ship “has stopped in Saudi Arabia en route to India,” the company added.
This was the latest in a series of drone and missile attacks by Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, against a vital shipping route in the Red Sea, in a context of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Iran was also accused by the United States of America (US) of carrying out attacks near its waters.
In November, an Israeli cargo ship was damaged by a suspected drone attack by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Indian Ocean, according to a U.S. official.
Attacks since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7 have prompted major shipping companies to redirect their ships to the southern tip of Africa, despite higher fuel costs for longer voyages.
The Houthi rebels, who control a substantial part of Yemeni territory, including the capital Sanaa, have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks against 10 cargo ships and involving more than 35 countries, according to the Pentagon.
The Houthis say they will continue attacks as long as sufficient food and medicine do not reach the Gaza Strip.
Source: TSF
