The USA once again shelled Houthi targets in Yemen during the night. The militias had previously damaged a cargo ship in an attack in the Gulf of Aden.
US forces have again attacked Houthi rebel positions in Yemen. The responsible US regional command, Central Command, said during the night that the attacks had targeted 14 Houthi rockets that had been prepared for firing by the militia.
“These launch-launched missiles posed an imminent threat to commercial and U.S. Navy vessels and could have been fired at any time,” the regional command said. The US armed forces exercised “their right and obligation” to defend themselves.
Meanwhile, the Al-Masirah television station run by the Houthi rebels spoke of renewed “American-British aggression.” Targets included the port city of Hodeida and the city of Tais.
It was the fourth direct attack on the Houthis since the US and Britain hit more than 60 targets in Yemen on Friday night in large-scale airstrikes attributed to the Iran-backed rebel group.
Houthis again attack US freighters in the Gulf of Aden
Washington and its partners want to use military action to deter the Houthi militia. Since November, it has carried out a series of attacks on ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in order, according to its own statements, to support the militant Islamist Hamas in the Gaza war against Israel.
According to US information, a drone from the areas in Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels hit an American ship in the Gulf of Aden just on Wednesday. There were no injuries. However, there was some damage in the attack. The ship, M/V Genco Picardy, is “a Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and operated bulk carrier.”
The British naval authority United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the drone hit the ship about 110 kilometers southeast of the city of Aden. The captain reported a fire on board, which has since been extinguished. The ship is now on its way to its destination port.
Houthis: Attack Response to Airstrikes
The shelling resulted in a “direct hit,” claimed Houthi military spokesman Jahja Sari. “Naval forces will not hesitate to combat all sources of threat in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea within the legitimate right to defend Yemen and continue to support the oppressed Palestinian people,” Sarea added. He said in his video message that the attack was a response to American and British air strikes.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder emphasized on Wednesday that the US would continue to take military steps to prevent further attacks by the Houthis. “They are taking advantage of this situation to carry out attacks on ships and maritime vessels from more than 50 countries (…) Therefore, we will continue to work with our partners in the region to prevent or deter these attacks in the future .”
Yesterday, the government of US President Joe Biden announced that it would put the Houthis back on the list of global terrorists. The reason is the ongoing attacks by the Iranian-backed group in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Since the beginning of the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, the militia there has repeatedly attacked freighters with alleged Israeli connections. Large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea route, through which around ten percent of world trade normally passes.
Ralf Borchard, ARD Washington, tagesschau, January 18, 2024 5:14 a.m