An aerial drone likely launched by Yemen's Houthi militias struck and damaged a vessel in the Red Sea on Sunday, officials said.
The drone attack happened around dawn off the coast of Hodeidah, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. It said the vessel sustained damage but its mariners on board “were reported safe.” It did not elaborate on the extent of the damage, but said an investigation was ongoing.
The private security firm Ambrey identified the ship involved as a Liberia-flagged container ship bound for Qingdao, China.
The Houthis have launched more than 60 attacks targeting specific vessels and fired off other missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two since November. A US-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January with a series of strikes.
The Houthis have maintained that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war — including those bound for the Houthis' main benefactor, Iran.
