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Houthis target US carrier, destroyers in Arabian, Red seas

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Tuesday that the attacks, both lasting eight hours, were carried out “in response to the British-American aggression..reports Asian Lite News

Yemen’s Houthi group said they launched rocket and drone attacks targeting the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea and two US destroyers in the Red Sea.

In a statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Tuesday that the attacks, both lasting eight hours, were carried out “in response to the British-American aggression on our country (Yemen), and support to the Palestinian and Lebanese people”.

Sarea held the US and Britain responsible for “turning the Red Sea region into a zone of military tension,” warning that “repercussions on (commercial) maritime navigation” would be very bad, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Houthi group would not stop attacking ships until Israel ends its war against Gaza and southern Lebanon, he added.

10 Houthi operatives killed in drone strikes

At least 10 Houthi operatives were killed in two separate US drone strikes in Yemen’s central Al-Bayda province, a Yemeni government military source told the media.

The strikes targeted mobile rocket launchers in the As-Sawma’ah and Dhi-Na’im districts, the source said on Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

Local residents reported on social media that Houthi forces cordoned off the targeted vehicles and blocked roads leading to the sites, Xinhua news agency reported.

Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV also reported the two strikes by “US drones,” without providing further details, as the Houthi group rarely discloses information about its casualties or losses.

Earlier on Tuesday, Houthi television reported three airstrikes by “US-British navy coalition warplanes” against the Al-Fazah area, a few kilometres south of the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, but provided no further details on these strikes.

Also on Tuesday, US Central Command posted on social media platform X, stating, “Aircraft from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) support operations against Iran-backed Houthis in the US Central Command area of responsibility,” along with a video showing warplanes taking off from an aircraft carrier.

Al-Masirah TV has reported multiple airstrikes by US-British coalition warplanes in the capital Sanaa, as well as in the Amran and Saada provinces, over the past three days.

Yemen has been engulfed in a civil war since the Houthi group seized control of several northern provinces in late 2014, forcing the internationally recognised Yemeni government out of Sanaa.

Since last November, the Houthi group has launched rocket and drone attacks on Israel and disrupted “Israeli-linked” shipping in the Red Sea, reportedly in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In response, the US-led navy coalition stationed in the Red Sea has conducted regular air raids and strikes against Houthi targets since January to deter the group from disrupting international shipping lanes.

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Yemen’s Houthis vow to Target Israel

Yemen accuses Houthi of recruiting children in conflict

Earlier in the day, Israel said its fighter jets hit and destroyed Houthi targets in Hodeidah port city….reports Asian Lite News

Yemen’s Houthi group vowed to launch retaliatory attacks against Israel after the latter destroyed oil storage facilities in the Houthi-held Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

“The Israeli enemy launched a brutal aggression on Hodeidah, targeting the power station, the port, and the fuel storages, all of which are civilian targets,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement.

“We will not hesitate to hit vital targets in Israel,” he said, reiterating that Tel Aviv will not remain a safe area, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, Israel said its fighter jets hit and destroyed Houthi targets in Hodeidah port city.

Residents and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that the fire in the oil storage facilities lasted hours.

The Israeli air strikes came a day after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a building in Tel Aviv that killed a person and injured 10 others.

The Houthis have been targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November last year to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Many shipping companies have since changed their routes to go around the southern tip of Africa to avoid drone and missile attacks.

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US-UK coalition strikes Houthi targets in Yemen

Locals said the strikes hit mobile military targets of the Houthi group…reports Asian Lite News

 Warplanes of the US-UK coalition launched three airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen’s Red Sea province of Hodeidah, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV and witnesses.

Al-Masirah TV reported that the strikes hit the northwestern district of Alluhayah and the southern district of Bayt al-Faqih in the province on Thursday.

Locals said the strikes hit mobile military targets of the Houthi group, reports Xinhua news agency.

The US-UK coalition has not yet commented on the strikes.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the US Central Command said its forces destroyed two radar sites in the Houthi-controlled areas and two Houthi drone boats in the Red Sea.

The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, began in November last year to launch anti-ship ballistic missiles and armed drones at what they said were Israeli-linked ships transiting the Red Sea to show solidarity with the Palestinians under attack by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

In response, the US-UK naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets in an attempt to deter the group from further attacks.

However, the Houthis retaliated by expanding their attacks on US and UK commercial vessels and naval ships.

Few days ago, Houthi group said that they, along with the Iraqi Shiite militia, launched cruise missiles at “a vital target” in the Israeli city of Haifa.

“The joint military operation targeting a vital target in Haifa with several cruise missiles. The operation achieved its goals successfully,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Tuesday.

He vowed to launch more attacks against Israel until the war in the Gaza Strip stops, reports Xinhua news agency.

Since November last year, the Houthi group has been conducting drone and missile attacks against Israeli cities and ships in the Red Sea that are related to Israel to show its solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In response, the US-UK naval coalition has since January been conducting air raids and missile strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen but failed so far to deter the group from launching further attacks on Israeli targets and ships in the Red Sea.

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Houthis Target Oil Tankers in Fresh Assaults

Since November last year, the Houthi group has been conducting drone and missile attacks in shipping lanes…reports Asian Lite News

Yemen’s Houthi group has said in a statement that they have launched multiple attacks against an oil tanker and other cargo ships, including a joint attack with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance.

“Our armed forces carried out several qualitative military operations, including a joint military operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the oil tanker WALER in the Mediterranean Sea with several drones while it was on its way to Haifa Port,” Yahya Sarea, the Houthi military spokesman, said on Friday in the televised statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

“Our naval forces carried out a military operation targeting the American ship DELONIX in the Red Sea with several ballistic missiles. The operation led to a direct hit on the ship,” Sarea added.

“We also targeted the ship JOHANNES MAERSK in the Mediterranean Sea with a winged missile, and the operation achieved its goal successfully,” he said as reported by Xinhua news agency.

“The operation was carried out simultaneously with the naval forces carrying out another military operation in the Red Sea against the ship LOANNIS. The ship was targeted by several unmanned boats,” he added.

Since November last year, the Houthi group has been conducting drone and missile attacks in shipping lanes, claiming these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In response, the US-British naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group, but this only led to an expansion of Houthi attacks to include US and British commercial vessels and naval ships.

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Ship sinks in Red Sea after attack by Houthis

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched an invasion of Gaza…reports Asian Lite News

A Greek-owned ship sank in the Red Sea after being attacked by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Wednesday, reported CBS News citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The ship, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, also known as MV Tutor, is believed to be the second ship sunk by Houthis since March when the British registered vessel Rubymar was downed after being struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen.

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched an invasion of Gaza following the Hamas’ attack on Southern Israel in October last year.

Following the attacks by the Hamas terror group, tensions have boiled in the Middle East, with key regional actors condemning the humanitarian crises caused by the war, as reported by CNN.

However, the Tutor was first hit on June 12 by a smaller boat before being struck a second time by “an unknown airborne projectile,” the UKMTO stated.

Meanwhile, one crew member has been reportedly missing after the attack, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last week.

After the ship’s entire crew were evacuated from the vessel, it began to drift before reportedly sinking on Tuesday, according to the UKMTO, reported CNN.

Earlier, a Houthi spokesperson said that the ship had been attacked by a sea drone, ballistic missiles and other drones for violating their so-called “ban to the occupied Palestinian ports.”

However, the CENTCOM shared on X that these ongoing threats to international commerce caused by the Houthis make it harder to deliver assistance to the Gaza and Yemeni people.

“The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. The ongoing threat to international commerce caused by the Houthis in fact makes it harder to deliver badly needed assistance to the people of Yemen as well as Gaza,” the CENTCOM stated.

Earlier this month, CENTCOM launched attacks on Houthi radars which helped to facilitate the group’s ongoing assaults on ships in the Red Sea, the US Central Command said.

Notably, Israel launched its military offensive in October after the Hamas-terror group killed at least 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 others. (ANI)

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Houthis fired ballistic missile over Gulf of Aden: US

This recent missile launch adds to a series of aggressive maneuvers by the Houthis, including strikes on both commercial and navy ships in international waters …reports Asian Lite News

Yemen’s ongoing conflict took a dangerous turn as Houthi militants launched a ballistic missile over the Gulf of Aden on Sunday, prompting concern from the US military. Despite this escalation, no coalition or commercial vessels reported being struck by the missile.

The Houthi militia, backed by Iran, has been intensifying attacks on Yemeni government forces across the nation. While the Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for fresh assaults on Monday, their pattern suggests acknowledgment of such actions in the days following.

This recent missile launch adds to a series of aggressive maneuvers by the Houthis, including strikes on both commercial and navy ships in international waters near Yemen and the Indian Ocean. These attacks, purportedly in support of Palestine, have seen the deployment of ballistic missiles, drones, and drone boats since November.

In a concerning incident, a Greek-owned oil tanker narrowly avoided being hit by a Houthi ballistic missile in the Red Sea on Saturday. This near-miss underscores the grave threat posed by the ongoing conflict to maritime security in the region.

Meanwhile, the toll on Yemeni government troops continues to rise, with four soldiers killed in clashes with the Houthis in Taiz province on Monday. This brings the total number of government soldiers killed in Houthi attacks to 11 in less than a week, highlighting the intensity of the ongoing fighting.

In Sanaa, the Houthi militia held a military burial procession for two of their fighters killed in clashes with government forces. Such events have become tragically routine since the UN-brokered ceasefire in April 2022.

Despite these grim developments, efforts for peace persist. Yemen’s Defense Minister met with the UN Yemen envoy’s military adviser in Aden to discuss Houthi attacks, peace initiatives, and the smuggling of Iranian weapons to the Houthis through Hodeidah port.

Meanwhile, UN experts called on the Houthis to release five members of the Bahai religious minority and cease persecution of religious minorities under their control. The Houthis have held these individuals captive for a year, despite international pleas for their release.

ALSO READ: Houthis vow to widen attacks 

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Houthis vow to widen attacks  

The militia have recently expanded their campaign to the Indian Ocean…reports Asian Lite News

The Houthi militia on Thursday claimed to have struck three cargo ships in the Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea with drones and missiles, with its leader later threatening to expand operations until Israel ends its war in Gaza.

Yahya Sarea, a Houthi military spokesman, said that two vessels, MSC Diego and MSC Gina, were hit with drones and ballistic missiles in the Gulf of Aden, adding that the strikes were “accurate.”

Another ship, MSC Vittoria, was hit twice with missiles, first in the Indian Ocean and then in the Arabian Sea, he said.

Sarea described the three vessels as “Israeli,” and said the militia will expand its maritime assault if Israel continues its onslaught in Gaza.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces are following developments in the Gaza Strip and will not hesitate to escalate their military actions in the face of tyranny against the Palestinian people,” he said.

According to marinetraffic.com, which provides information on ship locations and identities, the MSC Diego is a Panama-flagged cargo ship traveling from Oman to Djibouti, while the MSC Gina is a container ship also flying the Panama flag and sailing from Sri Lanka to Djibouti.

The MSC Vittoria, a container ship, is traveling under the Panama flag toward India.

The US Central Command said on Wednesday that the three drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile launched over the Gulf of Aden by the Houthis on Monday and Tuesday were either shot down by US and coalition troops, or fell into the sea.

Since November, the Houthis have seized one commercial ship, sunk another, and launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at international commercial and naval ships in international shipping lanes off Yemen’s coast, including the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden.

The militia have recently expanded their campaign to the Indian Ocean.

The Houthis say that they target Israel-linked ships to compel Israel to allow humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip, and that US and UK ships were added to their list of targets when the two nations launched strikes against parts of Yemen under militia control.

On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi said that his forces had targeted 112 ships in the past seven months and had expanded their campaign to include all ships carrying goods to Israeli ports, regardless of nationality or location.

“Any ship that transferred products to Israeli ports after the ban was enacted would be a target for us, no matter where it is located. For us, there are no red lines that can impede our operations,”  Al-Houthi said in a televised speech.

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Houthis claim targeting US, Israeli ships

The Houthi group has been controlling much of northern Yemen since the Yemeni civil war erupted in late 2014….reports Asian Lite News

Yemen’s Houthi group has claimed responsibility for launching three attacks, targeting two US ships in the Gulf of Aden and an Israeli ship in the Indian Ocean.

“In support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and in response to the American-British aggression against our country (Yemen), our naval forces carried out a military operation targeting the American ship (MAERSK YORKTOWN) in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of suitable naval missiles, and the hit was accurate,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Wednesday.

“We also carried out other two military operations using bomb-laden drones, one of which targeted an American warship in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of drones, and the other operation targeted the Israeli ship (MSC VERACRUZ) in the Indian Ocean with a number of drones. Both operations achieved their goals successfully,” he said without specifying the date of those attacks.

“We confirm that we will continue to prevent Israeli ships or any ship heading to Israel from transiting the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean until the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people in Gaza is stopped and the siege is lifted,” Sarea said, vowing that his group would take more actions in the coming days.

Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported an explosion near a ship in the Gulf of Aden, which it said caused no damage or casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Houthi group has been controlling much of northern Yemen since the Yemeni civil war erupted in late 2014.

After the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, the Houthi group declared its support for Hamas and began attacking ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea in November.

In response to the Houthi attacks, the US and UK launched a joint military operation in January, conducting air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Following the military action by Washington and London, the Houthi group vowed retaliation and expanded its targeting to include US and British ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

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Red Sea coalition destroys Houthi drone, boat

Steven Fagin, the US ambassador to Yemen, called the Houthi destruction of houses “a brutal attack,” and said that the Yemeni militia continues to mistreat Yemenis in areas they control…reports Asian Lite News

The US-led naval coalition in the Red Sea has destroyed a Houthi drone and a remote-controlled, explosive-laden boat targeting merchant vessels off the Yemen coast.

US Central Command said early on Thursday that its forces had destroyed a remote-controlled boat, while an aircraft from the US-led coalition shot down a drone launched by the Yemeni militia on Wednesday at international commercial and naval ships.

“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region,” CENTCOM said.

The EU’s Red Sea naval mission said on Wednesday that a French Navy helicopter shot down a Houthi drone flying over the southern Red Sea near commercial vessels. The Houthis have yet to claim responsibility for launching the drone or boat.

Since November, the militia has launched hundreds of missiles, drones, and remote-controlled boats against foreign commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, claiming to be acting in support of Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the Houthis face growing condemnation over their deadly house destruction in Al-Bayda.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government urged the world, including the UN and other international bodies, on Thursday to designate the militia as terrorists, and to condemn Houthi human rights violations, such as the recent demolition of homes in Radaa, Al-Bayda, which left 35 civilians injured or dead.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, the UN secretary-general, and international delegates at the UN, the Yemeni government requested the UN take “concrete and strict measures” against the Houthis to put an end to their abuses in Yemen.

“While the terrorist Houthi militias falsely claim to be protecting the Palestinian people in Gaza, they continue to commit the same atrocities and heinous crimes against the Yemeni people that the Israeli occupation forces do against Palestinians.”

At the same time, foreign embassies in Yemen, as well as local and international human rights organizations, have condemned the Houthis for damaging people’s houses in Radaa and urged them to stop their attacks.

In a post on X, the British Embassy described “harrowing” photographs of Houthi damage to houses in Radaa, and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. “We condemn the attack in the strongest terms. More tragic loss of life from reckless Houthi attacks.”

Steven Fagin, the US ambassador to Yemen, called the Houthi destruction of houses “a brutal attack,” and said that the Yemeni militia continues to mistreat Yemenis in areas they control.

“This act of violence serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing suffering and instability that persists in areas controlled by the Houthis. The people of Yemen deserve to live in a safe and secure environment, free from the threat of violence and oppression, and the United States remains committed to supporting peace in Yemen,” the US ambassador said in a statement on X.

Human Rights Watch also called on the Houthis to immediately investigate the destruction of homes, bring those responsible to justice, and compensate those affected.

“Houthi forces in Yemen are continuing their brutal treatment of civilians under their rule by deliberately detonating a residential home and apparently killing at least nine people from the same family,” Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

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UNSC calls for halt to Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels

UN officials expressed concern that parties involved in the conflict in Yemen might engage in “risky military adventurism” that could push the country into a new cycle of war…reports Asian Lite News

The UN Security Council on Monday condemned “in the strongest terms” Houthi strikes against international maritime traffic in the Red Sea and demanded that all such attacks “cease immediately.”

The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November and say their assaults will continue until Israel ends its war on Gaza.

The attacks highlighted by the council included one on March 6 on the Barbados-flagged merchant carrier True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden, which left two Filipino nationals and a Vietnamese citizen dead and several crew members injured. It was the first fatal strike against shipping by the Houthis.

Another was an anti-ballistic missile attack on Feb. 18 that targeted the Belize-flagged, UK-owned cargo ship Rubymar and caused it to sink. The vessel was carrying 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer, raising fears of environmental damage to the Red Sea, including its coral reefs and marine life.

Council members reiterated the importance of the “full implementation of Resolution 2216” and subsequent resolutions that call for an end to the violence in Yemen and to all unilateral actions that threaten the political process in the country.

They emphasized the need for “practical cooperation, including with the government of Yemen, to prevent the Houthis from acquiring the arms and related materiel necessary to carry out further attacks,” and reiterated that all member states must adhere to “their obligations in regards to the targeted arms embargo.”

The council also demanded the immediate release of the Japanese-operated cargo ship Galaxy Leader and the 25 members of its crew, who have been unlawfully detained by the Houthis for more than 100 days.

Members emphasized the importance of Red Sea maritime routes to humanitarian operations in Yemen and beyond, and to the local fishing industry and the Yemeni people whose livelihoods it supports. They reaffirmed that “the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels of all states transiting the Red Sea and Baab Al-Mandab, in accordance with international law, must be respected.”

With that in mind, council members warned of the adverse effects of a “March 4 Houthi decision purporting to require ships obtain a permit from their ‘Maritime Affairs Authority’ before entering Yemeni waters, on the freedom of commercial navigation and humanitarian operations, including into Yemen.”

Last week, UN officials expressed concern that parties involved in the conflict in Yemen might engage in “risky military adventurism” that could push the country into a new cycle of war.

“Although we have tried to shield the peace process from regional developments since the war in Gaza, the reality is (that) what happens regionally impacts Yemen, and what happens in Yemen can impact the region,” Hans Grundberg, the UN’s special envoy for Yemen said during a meeting of the Security Council to discuss the latest developments in the country and the Red Sea. “The current trajectory gives cause for serious concern.”

Council members stressed the importance of efforts to enhance regional and international cooperation to counter threats to peace and security in the region, and called for a deescalation of hostilities in the Red Sea to help preserve the peace process in Yemen.

They commended the internationally recognized government of Yemen on its efforts “to preserve the maritime environment,” and called on all UN member states, organizations and agencies to support that work.

The council also emphasized the need to “prevent further regional spillover of the conflict, and its impact on the security and the stability of the region and beyond,” and reiterated “the necessity to address the root causes contributing to regional tensions and to the disruption of maritime security in order to ensure a prompt, efficient and effective response.”

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