DUBAI: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Tuesday on a container ship in the Red Sea and for an attempt to attack Israel with drones.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping said there were no injuries to its crew from the attack on its ship, the United VIII, en route from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. It said the ship had informed a nearby coalition naval warship that it had come under attack and had taken evasive maneuvers.
Israel said separately that its aircraft had intercepted a hostile aerial target in the Red Sea area.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea in a televised address said the group had targeted the vessel, which he identified as the MSC United, after the crew failed to respond to warnings.
He also said the Houthis had carried out a military operation targeting Eilat and other areas in Israel, which he referred to as occupied Palestine. He did not say whether any of the targets were successfully hit.
US fighter jets, a navy destroyer and other assets shot down in the Red Sea 12 drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two cruise missiles fired by the Houthis, US Central Command said. There was no damage to ships and no reported injuries, it wrote on social media platform X.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen including the capital, have since October attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea they say have Israeli links or are sailing to Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Authority earlier reported two incidents of explosions in the Red Sea off of the coast of Yemen involving missiles and drones near a vessel. It also said there were no reported injuries.
The reported incidents come a week after the United States announced a multinational maritime security initiative in the Red Sea in response to attacks on vessels by Yemen’s Houthis.
Several shipping lines have suspended operations through the Red Sea waterway in response to the attacks, instead taking the longer journey around Africa.
The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until Israel halts the conflict in Gaza, and warned that it would attack US warships if the militia group itself was targeted.
Yemen’s Houthis claim attack on Pakistan-bound container ship in Red Sea
https://arab.news/8atvf
Yemen’s Houthis claim attack on Pakistan-bound container ship in Red Sea
- The group has attacked commercial vessels in the sea since October which it says have Israeli links
- Several shipping lines have suspended operations through the Red Sea in response to the attacks
Thousands evacuate homes in Pakistan’s northwest ahead of security operation
- Families in the restive Tirah Valley will receive cash grants, monthly stipends during relocation
- The planned military offensive aims to clear militants from the volatile region near Afghan border
ISLAMABAD: Thousands of families have started evacuating the restive Tirah Valley in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber district, an official and a tribal leader said on Saturday, as the country’s security forces prepare for a targeted offensive against militants in the area.
Situated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Tirah Valley has long served as a sanctuary for militant groups affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), despite major operations in the mid-2010s.
Sporadic violence and militant entrenchment have nevertheless persisted, with security forces conducting intelligence-based operations in recent years to counter resurging elements.
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Arab News that “evacuation from the Maidan area of Tirah Valley started five days ago in anticipation of a possible operation against terrorists.”
He added that the relocation process will continue until Jan. 25, affecting an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 families.
“Each displaced family is being provided with Rs250,000 [$893] in one-time financial assistance, along with a monthly stipend of Rs50,000 [$179] until they return home,” the official said, adding that the government will also provide Rs3 million ($10,714) for damage to houses and Rs1 million ($3,571) for commercial damages.
He said authorities are also supplying food items and arranging free transportation for the relocation of the area’s population.
The decision to move comes amid residents’ complaints of a volatile security environment.
Kamaluddin Khan, a member of a local tribal committee representing elders from the region, described the migration as “the last resort” under the circumstances.
“The people of Tirah have decided to relocate under compulsion and that too only once the government and administration accepted their demands,” he told Arab News over the phone, mainly referring to financial assistance and facilitation.
“The situation in Tirah has deteriorated to such an extent that not only humans, but even animals find it difficult to live here. We held several jirgas [tribal councils of elders], but they proved futile,” he added.
Khan described the situation in the area as “highly volatile.”
“The registration process for migration has begun, and people have started leaving the area,” he added. “According to our estimates, around 30,000 people will be affected by this displacement.”
The move follows a bloody year for Pakistan. Combat-related deaths surged by 73 percent in 2025, reaching 3,387 fatalities, according to data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a local think tank.
The organization said in its annual report that security forces suffered 664 deaths — the highest toll since 2011 — while 2,115 militants were killed during the same period.
Pakistan has grappled with a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan.
Islamabad blames the Afghan authorities for providing sanctuaries to militants it says use Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan. Kabul denies the charges.
According to security analysts in the area, the upcoming operation will be more targeted than the previous ones.
Peshawar-based Mehmood Jan Babar maintained that local sentiment has shifted against the militants.
“People are willing to leave their homes themselves,” he told Arab News. “The families with links to militants are also facing public criticism, as the people of Tirah are exhausted by a prolonged law and order situation.”
“The upcoming operation is not likely to result in large-scale displacement,” he continued. “Based on information available to us, it will be a targeted operation.”
Officials said that the operation against militants is expected to conclude within two months, after which the rehabilitation and return process may begin in April.
