In a statement on Sunday, the Yemeni Armed Forces – affiliated with the Ansar Allah group – announced that they had targeted two Israeli ships near Bab Al-Mandab.
A Pentagon official told Al-Jazeera that missiles and drones were fired from Yemen towards the US destroyer USS Carney that attempted to aid the two Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
Bab Al-Mandab connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, a vital area for global trade that has seen a series of attacks in recent weeks claimed by the Ansar Allah group in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since October 7.
Two Missiles Fired from Yemen toward US Ship in Gulf of Aden
Distress Calls
According to a Pentagon official, the destroyer USS Carney responded to a distress call from a merchant ship in the Red Sea, claiming that it succeeded in countering drones and missiles launched from Ansar Allah-controlled territory in Yemen.
The official added that the firing of rockets and drones at the destroyer USS Carney did not result in injuries or damage, pointing out that he could not yet confirm that a merchant ship was directly hit in the attack.
Direct hits, however, were confirmed, according to other sources.
According to Reuters, a drone targeted a container ship off the coast of Yemen’s Hodeidah port.
Meanwhile, the British Telegraph newspaper quoted the firm, ‘Ambry Maritime Security’, saying that a British cargo ship flying the flag of the Bahamas was struck by a missile off the west coast of Yemen.
The cargo carrier was hit by a missile and the crew withdrew to the hull, the company said in a statement.
Britain’s maritime agency also warned on Sunday of an escalation in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea, and called on ships in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
Israeli Army Radio alleged that the ship, which was badly damaged in the Red Sea, was British-owned and had nothing to do with Israel.
However, similar claims were initially made regarding the Galaxy Leader, which was seized by Yemeni forces on November 19, before it was confirmed that it was owned by an Israeli billionaire with close ties to the Israeli military.
Yemeni Armed Forces Seize Israeli Ship in Red Sea – Al-Mayadeen
The ship that suffered minor damage in the Red Sea was leased to a partially Israeli-owned company, according to the Israeli Army Radio.
“The Iranians and their Houthi proxies pose a threat to the entire free world,” Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus tweeted.
Earlier, Israeli shipping company Zim said it had changed its shipping lines after two ships were bombed by drones off the coast of Yemen.
Meanwhile, the military spokesman of the Ansar Allah group, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said on Sunday that the Yemeni armed forces carried out an operation targeting two Israeli ships at Bab Al-Mandab on Sunday.
Saree added that Yemen’s naval forces will continue to target Israeli ships until the aggression on Gaza stops, and will continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigation until the aggression ends.
YEMENI ARMED FORCES (ANSAR ALLAH): We targeted two Israeli ships at Bab al-Mandab, namely the ship "Unity Explorer" and the ship "Number Nine,"
We will continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating until the aggression against Gaza stops.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 3, 2023
‘Severe Blows’
The Ansar Allah had threatened Israel with “painful and severe” blows, following the resumption of aggression on the Gaza Strip.
On October 31, the Yemeni armed forces announced for the first time that Israel had been targeted with a large number of missiles and drones.
On November 19, the Ansar Allah announced the seizure of the Galaxy Leader, owned by an Israeli businessman, in the Red Sea, hauling it to the Yemeni coast, in solidarity with the Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip, according to Ansar Allah military spokesman.
The group also repeatedly vowed to target ships owned or operated by Israeli companies, calling on countries to withdraw their citizens working on the crews of these ships.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes across various areas of Gaza since Friday morning, as Israel resumed its aggression after a seven-day truce, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
A four-day truce, which began on Friday, November 24, was extended twice, and collapsed on Friday, December 1, at 7 am local time.
Since October 7, 15,523 Palestinians, including over 6,500 children and more than 4,000 women were killed, with another 41,136 wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
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Statement
Below are Excerpts from a statement made by Ansar Allah military spokesman following the strikes on the two Israeli ships on Sunday:
“The Naval Forces in the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against two Israeli ships at Bab Al-Mandab, namely the ship Unity Explorer and the ship Number Nine, where the first ship was targeted with a naval missile and the second with a marine drone.
“The targeting operation came after the two ships ignored the warning messages from the Yemeni Naval Forces.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating in the Red and Arabian Seas until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces renew their warning to all Israeli ships or those associated with Israelis that they will become a legitimate target if they violate what has been stated in this statement and previous statements issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
