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Vessel Hit by Projectiles Off Yemen

Houthi supporters brandishing rifles rally in Sanaa, in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza on July 12, 2024. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP)
Houthi supporters brandishing rifles rally in Sanaa, in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza on July 12, 2024. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP)
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Vessel Hit by Projectiles Off Yemen

Houthi supporters brandishing rifles rally in Sanaa, in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza on July 12, 2024. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP)
Houthi supporters brandishing rifles rally in Sanaa, in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza on July 12, 2024. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP)

A vessel was hit by unknown projectiles 83 nautical miles southeast of Yemen's Aden early on Friday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and British security firm Ambrey said.

All crew were reported safe, UKMTO said in an advisory note, and Ambrey, in a separate advisory, said the vessel was a Singapore-flagged container ship.

"The ship was transiting northeast along the Gulf of Aden when a merchant vessel in the vicinity observed 'light and blast' where the ship was located," Ambrey added.

The British security firm said the ship appeared to perform evasive maneuvers immediately and switch off her automatic identification system approximately an hour later.

Ambrey assessed the vessel to be aligned with the Houthi target profile.

Since November, the Houthi militias in Yemen have launched drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The group has said its actions are in solidarity with Palestinians affected by Israel's war in Gaza.

Britain and the US have conducted retaliatory strikes since February, shooting down drones and bombing attack sites in Yemen.

The US Central Command said on Thursday USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed two surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and four uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) on the ground in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” USCENTCOM said in a statement.

“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure,” it added.

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Heavy Rains Flood Khartoum Streets, Exposing Decomposed Bodies

A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Heavy Rains Flood Khartoum Streets, Exposing Decomposed Bodies

A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A resident attempts to drain floodwaters outside home in Omdurman (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Torrential rains battered several parts of Sudan’s Khartoum state this week, flooding residential neighborhoods and streets, disrupting movement, and sweeping away war debris, including decomposed corpses believed to belong to paramilitary fighters.

The rainfall began as sanitation workers were carrying out maintenance on stormwater drains. But before completing their task, the downpour caught them off guard, forcing them to begin draining the water with basic tools already in use.

Local authorities said residents in the East Nile district reported seeing decomposed bodies swept into drainage canals. Officials suspect the corpses may be those of fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which controlled swathes of the capital during its year-long war with the Sudanese army.

The RSF had held large parts of Khartoum since conflict erupted on April 15, 2023. But by March this year, the army claimed to have regained full control of the city. Since then, thousands of displaced families have returned home, according to state authorities, with more returning each day.

This year’s rainy season arrives amid the devastation of war, which has crippled already fragile infrastructure, particularly flood drainage systems. Even before the conflict, seasonal rains often caused widespread destruction in Khartoum, damaging homes and public facilities and resulting in casualties.

Despite extensive water pooling in open areas, Sudan’s Civil Defense Authority reported no fatalities or property losses. “Water was drained naturally, without any intervention from Civil Defense teams,” said Major General Qureshi, deputy director of emergency operations, in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Qureshi added that his teams remain on high alert, as a precaution, although Nile water levels remain stable.

Residents attempted to clear water from their homes by removing weeds and waste blocking drainage channels.

“During the RSF's control of the city, we tried to dig small trenches to divert the rainwater toward the main drains,” said resident Mohamed Elias. “But the blocked drains caused water to stagnate for months, leading to insect infestations and disease.”

Although thousands have returned to Khartoum, the national government has not fully re-established itself in the capital, which it fled in favor of Port Sudan, a Red Sea city now serving as a temporary seat of power. Khartoum’s governor, Ahmed Othman, previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that the government’s return to the capital would be gradual.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said over one million displaced Sudanese have returned to their areas of origin across the country, including in Khartoum.