UKMTO reports two 'incidents' in Red Sea off Hodeidah
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CENTCOM says US destroyers responded to a request for assistance from the Maersk Hangzhou, which reported being struck by a missile while transiting the Red Sea.
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The guided-missile destroyer USS Carney in Souda Bay, Greece (AP)
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization said earlier today it received a report on Saturday detailing an incident in the Red Sea, approximately 55 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
According to the advisory note issued by the UKMTO, the master of the unidentified ship reported "a loud bang accompanied by a flash on the port bow of the vessel" and several explosions in the surrounding area.
UKMTO Warnings 023/DEC/2023 Update 002
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) December 31, 2023
Category: Warninghttps://t.co/a6eYax4Zi0#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/iudvQdftzr
No damage was reported in the wake of the operation, and all crew members were confirmed to be safe.
Meanwhile, the US military claimed that an American destroyer shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles allegedly fired from Yemen Saturday as it responded to a call for help from a container ship that was hit in a separate strike.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed in a social media post that this is the 23rd attack by the Yemeni forces on international shipping since November 19.
CENTCOM said the USS Gravely and USS Laboon -- both destroyers -- responded to a request for assistance from the Maersk Hangzhou, a Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned and operated container ship that reported being struck by a missile while transiting the Red Sea.
While responding, the Gravely shot down the missiles, which were fired "toward the ships," it said.
Later, UKMTO reported another "incident" off Hodeidah, where the master of the ship reported being attacked by three small boats on its port side. There was an exchange of fire, but no casualties were reported.
UKMTO WARNING 024/DEC/2023https://t.co/Z0vTdolDwv#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/GMqjQ5t6t9
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) December 31, 2023
This development comes amid an increase in attacks on Israeli and Israeli-bound vessels in the Red Sea. The Yemeni Ansar Allah movement has expressed that these acts come as a form of protest against the Israeli occupation's ongoing onslaught in Gaza.
Ansar Allah has made public declarations, vowing to persist with their attacks until aid is allowed entry into Gaza and until the Israeli occupation forces cease the military hostilities in Gaza.
Failure to counter Yemen
Some two weeks have passed since the Pentagon announced the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian. However, it continues to be haunted by the reluctant participation of its members and uncertainty behind the operation's objectives.
Major member countries have announced stepping back or scaling down on commitment to the alliance, including France, which said it will not be operating under Washington's orders and will limit its operations to protect EU vessels, and Spain, which declared it will not participate entirely.
Upon announcing the anti-Yemen force, the leader of the Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned the US on December 20 against attacking Yemen, stressing that American battleships and vessels would become a target for Yemeni missiles in the event of any attack.
Moreover, according to the stated objectives of the mission, the US Navy and its allies will seek to escort tens of ships through the Red Sea a day, which speaks to the sheer magnitude of the task at hand.
Yemen warns US against hostilities
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, issued a warning on Friday, stating, "We caution the American enemy of the repercussions of any escalation against our nation and our people."
Brigadier General Saree, through his account on X, added, "We caution all nations against getting involved or cooperating with the United States in protecting the Zionist enemy's ships."
He emphasized that Yemen's stance on the Palestinian issue is "steadfast and principled, and will remain unchanged, regardless of developments or challenges," adding that the YAF are fully prepared and ready to counter any aggression.
Saree addressed Washington, saying, "You should heed the warnings of the leader of the Ansar Allah movement."
It is noteworthy that Saree has reiterated more than once that the YAF will continue to carry out military operations in the Red and Arabian seas against Israeli ships or vessels bound to the Israeli occupation entity until needed food and medicine are delivered to the Gaza Strip, confirming that the army is "fully committed to ensuring the continued maritime navigation to all destinations except to the Israeli entity."
