United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) that there had been an attack in the Bab el-Mandeb on Monday night. UKMTO is a public service operated by the Royal Navy to provide information for security services and merchant vessels.
UKMTO WARNING 004/DEC/2023-Update 001ATTACKWarnings-2023 (https://t.co/5An1YH0JyE)#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/Sxbsp8WV2Y
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) December 11, 2023
They reported that there was a fire onboard the vessel and that all crew were safe, it is not clear if the ship is connected to Israel or was headed to an Israeli port.
US defense officials claimed that a land-based cruise missile fired from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen was responsible for the damage, as well as confirming that a US Navy ship had arrived to render support.
UKMTO later reported that an organization claiming to be “the Yemeni Navy” ordered a vessel to change course and dock in Yemen.
These reports come as attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have ramped up, with attacks reported on a near-weekly basis and becoming increasingly frequent.
Both France and the United States have been involved in interceptions in the Red Sea recently. The United States increased its presence in the Red Sea after the Houthis fired missiles toward Israel last month.
After several successful interceptions of Houthi missiles, the Houthis changed tack and began seizing ships, they claim are associated with Israel, often they are carrying Israeli products or are partly owned by an Israeli.
The Houthis announced on December 9 that all ships sailing to Israel are banned from the Red and Arabian Sea.
White House National Security Adviser Jon Finer directly accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of providing weaponry and intelligence to the Houthis.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian essentially confirmed Iran’s involvement in the Red Sea attacks, saying that at any moment there could be a “big explosion in the region,” while pointing to the various attacks on US bases and Red Sea shipping.
Explosions heard inland
Local sources report explosions heard inland near Houthi camp in Al-Hawban in the Taiz Governate, as well as the sound of aircraft.
عاجـــــــــــــل شهود عيان من الحوبان سماع دوي إنفجار قوي داخل معسكر للحوثيين في الحوبان محافظة تعز وسماع أصوات طيران حربي في الأجواء Urgent: Eyewitnesses from Al-Hawban heard a strong explosion inside a Houthi camp in Al-Hawban, Taiz Governorate, and heard the sounds of…
— راشد معروف (@RashidMaarouf) December 11, 2023
Israel was reported to have struck Houthi targets in Yemen on December 1, by the the Saudi al-Hadath TV, however, senior Houthi officials denied this saying it was caused by the detonation of old munitions.
Al-Hadath reported soon after the explosion was heard in Al-Hawban, that the Joint forces were coordinating with Saudi Arabia to “protect and secure the sea corridor in the Red Sea.”
They also reported that a Saudi Military delegation had been met in Mokha by a member of the Presidential Leadership Council with the purpose of increasing Yemen’s maritime security.
A spokesperson for the internationally recognized Yemeni government said that the Houthis were merely using the Israel-Hamas war as a pretext to spread more chaos at the expense of the people of Yemen.
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