Militia attacks freighter again
USA attacks Houthi positions again
January 18, 2024, 3:54 a.m
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The USA wants to stop the attacks on shipping traffic in the Red Sea with threats and renewed air strikes on Houthi positions. But the militia is not deterred by this – and attacks a US freighter.
US forces again attacked positions of the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen during the night. The target of the operation was 14 rockets prepared for launch, wrote the responsible regional command of the US military on X. The US military had previously announced that a combat drone launched in Yemen hit a US freighter flying the flag of the Marshall Islands on Wednesday. According to the information, there was some damage but no injuries.
Meanwhile, the Houthi-run television station Al-Masirah spoke of renewed “American-British aggression.” Targets included the port city of Hodeida and the city of Tais.
The USA and Great Britain attacked Houthi positions for the first time last week. The two countries responded to the series of drone and missile attacks by the Iranian-backed militia on ships in the Red Sea. As a result, the USA again attacked Houthi targets several times. Since the beginning of the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, the militia 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.
Houthis classified as a terrorist group
On Wednesday, the USA also announced that it would reclassify the Houthis as a terrorist organization and put them on a corresponding list. “The Houthis must be held accountable for their actions,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. But this should not come at the expense of the Yemeni civilian population. The militia classification will reportedly come into effect in 30 days.
The militia, which controls large parts of Yemen, has continued its attacks on ships. On Wednesday they attacked the cargo ship “Genco Picardy” in the Gulf of Aden, which sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands but is owned and operated by a US company.
The British Maritime Security Agency (UKMTO) had previously said there had been a drone attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden. “A fire broke out on board and was extinguished.” The ship and its crew are “safe,” the authority said. According to security firm Ambrey, the freighter was attacked 60 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni port city of Aden.