AL-MUKALLA: The US military said on Friday it had foiled a wave of drone, missile and boat strikes by Houthi militia in international trade channels off Yemen in the previous 24 hours.
The US Central Command said its forces destroyed an air defense sensor in a Houthi-held area of Yemen, a remotely operated vessel and two patrol boats in the Red Sea, all of which were regarded as dangers to international maritime commerce.
The Houthis also fired a drone and two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea, it said. The drone was destroyed and the missiles failed to hit their targets.
“The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza,” the command said.
On Thursday, it said the Iran-backed militia targeted the Ukrainian-owned and Polish-operated bulk cargo tanker M/V Verbena as it was transiting the Gulf of Aden under the flag of Palau. A member of the crew was seriously injured in the strike but was evacuated by a US Navy ship.
The command said the vessel had nothing to do with Israel and was sailing from Malaysia to Italy carrying construction materials.
On Thursday night, the Houthis in Sanaa claimed responsibility for three strikes on ships in the previous 24 hours. Military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement that missiles and drones were fired at the Verbena, Seaguardian and Athina in the Red Sea after they violated their ban on visiting Israeli ports.
One of the strikes scored a direct hit on the Verbena, he said.
Since November, the Houthis have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, drones and remotely operated boats against naval and commercial vessels, mostly in the Red Sea. One ship was sunk and another seized.
The militia have said repeatedly that they attack only vessels with links to or bound for Israel in a bid to get the country to end its war in Gaza.
The US labels the Houthis as a terrorist organization and leads a task force coalition to safeguard ships and conduct strikes on sites held by the group within Yemen.
On Thursday, a report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency said the attacks had led to a 90 percent decrease in shipping traffic in the Red Sea, affected 65 countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, the UAE, Qatar, Sudan and Oman, forced 29 energy and shipping companies to change their routes, and caused insurance and shipping costs to soar.
“As of mid-February, insurance premiums for Red Sea transits have risen to 0.7-1 percent of a ship’s total value, compared to less than 0.1 percent before December,” it said.
There had also been significant delays in the delivery of humanitarian supplies to aid-dependent nations like Yemen and Sudan, it said.
