Yemen Houthis launch attacks at six ships in three seas

Yemen’s Houthis launched attacks at six ships in three different seas, including the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, “Laax” that was damaged after reporting a Houthi missile strike off the coast of Yemen, the group said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

The “Laax” was attacked on Tuesday. The Houthis also launched attacks against the “Morea” and “Sealady” vessels in the Red Sea, the “Alba” and “Maersk Hartford” in the Arabian Sea and the “Minvera Antonia” in the Mediterranean, military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a televised speech.

The “Laax”, which was carrying a cargo of grain, was hit by five missiles fired from Yemen, but the vessel was still able to sail to its destination and the crew were safe, the ship’s security company, LSS-SAPU, told Reuters on Wednesday.

“The vessel has sustained damage, she is not taking water, she is not tilting and there are no wounded onboard,” a LSS-SAPU spokesperson said.

“She is proceeding to her destination with a normal speed.”

The spokesperson with LSS-SAPU, which was responsible for evacuating the crew from the “Rubymar” ship which sank after being hit by a Houthi missile earlier this year, said “Laax’s” Greece based owner had no connection with Israel or the United States.

The vessel last reported its position on 28 May with a destination of Bandar Imam Khomeini in Iran, LSEG shipping data showed.

The Houthis, who describe their attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s war in Gaza, have launched repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea region since November, later expanding to the Indian Ocean.

They promised to attack any ships sailing towards Israeli ports, even in the Mediterranean.

The group has managed to sink one ship, the “Rubymar”, seized another vessel, killed two crew members and disrupted global shipping by forcing vessels to avoid the nearby Suez Canal and reroute trade around Africa.

READ: Iran has made sea-launched ballistic missile ‘available to Houthis’