Tuesday March 5, 2024 {HMC} The U.S. military carried out its latest strikes late Monday against Houthi missiles near Yemen, as the Iran-backed militants continue to threaten shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
U.S. Central Command reported strikes targeting two anti-ship cruise missiles that it said posed an imminent threat to vessels in the region.
The strikes came hours after a suspected Houthi attack targeting a container ship in the Gulf of Aden.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said the attack happened about 170 kilometers southeast of Yemen’s port of Aden.
UKMTO said the crew was safe and the ship was proceeding to its next port of call.
British maritime security firm Ambrey identified the ship as a Liberia-flagged, Israel-affiliated container ship, and said it sustained some damage from a fire caused by an explosion during the attack.
The Houthis have said they are conducting their attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and will continue their campaign until Israel halts combat operations in the Gaza Strip.
The attacks have disrupted shipping in the Red Sea corridor, which provides a vital shortcut for vessels traveling to the Mediterranean Sea. Many commercial shipping companies have rerouted their ships, taking the longer and more expensive route around the African continent to avoid the risk of a Houthi assault.
Hong Kong-based HGC Global Communications said Monday that several underwater communications cables were damaged last week in the Red Sea.
The company said the cuts affected 25% of the data traffic flowing under the Red Sea and that it was working to reroute the data.
The Houthis have denied targeting cables in the region, and on Saturday blamed U.S. and British attacks for any damage.
