UK security firm reports two ships targeted off Yemen
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British maritime security firm Ambrey has reported that two ships were targeted off the coast of Yemen, bringing the total number of incidents to three within a span of 24 hours.
The attacks, which were not immediately claimed, occurred amidst a campaign by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis against ships they allege are associated with Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war.
According to Ambrey, one vessel was targeted southwest of Mukalla, a port city in Yemen, although it was not specified if the ship was hit.
This incident marks the second attack reported by Ambrey on the same day. Earlier, a projectile fell near a ship southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed that a missile impacted the water close to the ship, but no damage was reported to the vessel, and the crew was declared safe.
These attacks on Sunday followed two missiles targeting a ship southwest of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, as reported by both UKMTO and Ambrey. One missile was intercepted by the US-led coalition forces, while the other missed the ship.
Houthi rebels have been carrying out numerous missile and drone strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, citing solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war as their rationale.
The United States, leading a multinational flotilla aimed at protecting Red Sea shipping, has launched multiple attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-January. British warplanes have also participated in several of these strikes.
In a televised speech, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi disclosed that 37 people have been killed in over 400 strikes by US and British forces on Yemen since January. He pledged to continue strikes on Red Sea shipping, citing 34 attacks launched by his fighters over the past month.