The attack was reported by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), the Department of Defense's main command force responsible for the Middle East, Egypt, Central Asia and Pakistan.
According to CENTCOM, the Houthis sent a bomb-laden drone against the U.S.-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Genco Picardy, striking the ship around 70 miles southeast of the Yemeni government-controlled port city of Aden as the ship was transiting through the Gulf of Aden – the body of water between Yemen and the Horn of Africa that eventually leads into the Red Sea. (Related: TruNews: U.S.-led Yemen strikes escalate Middle East conflict.)
"There were no injuries and some damage was reported," said CENTCOM in its statement on the attack. "Genco Picardy is seaworthy and continuing underway."
The captain reported to his company – the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations – that the drone strike had started a fire on the ship.
"There was a fire on board, which has now been extinguished," said the company. "Vessel and crew are safe and proceeding to next port of call."
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Houthis, confirmed that the drone strike was "a response to the American and British attacks" on Houthi-controlled Yemen. Any retaliation by the West "will not remain without response and punishment."
Ship-ownership data lists Genco Picardy's owner as the New York City-based Genco Shipping and Trading Limited, a publicly traded firm on the New York Stock Exchange.
Houthis follow up with ballistic missile attacks on another U.S. merchant vessel
On the next day, Thursday, Jan. 18, the Houthis followed up with its third attack against American and allied merchant vessels passing through the Red Sea within a week.
According to CENTCOM, the attack occurred at around 9 p.m. local time, with Houthi rebels launching two Iranian-supplied anti-ship ballistic missiles at the Chem Ranger, a U.S.-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged ship.
CENTCOM reports that both missiles missed the Chem Ranger, landing instead in the waters surrounding the ship. There were no reported injuries to the crew or damage to the ship itself. CENTCOM has not confirmed where the ship was in the area when the attack occurred.
In their most recent statement, the Houthis vowed to continue their assault on Israeli, American and allied shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden until Israel ends all of its military operations in Gaza and pulls out all of its forces from the region.
"The operations against Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine will not stop until the aggression stops and the siege imposed on the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted," said Saree. "The Yemeni Armed Forces will not hesitate to target all sources of threat in the Arab and Red Seas within the legitimate right to defend dear Yemen and to continue supporting the oppressed Palestinian people."
Before the Houthis targeted the Genco Picardy and the Chem Ranger, on Monday, Jan. 15, the Houthis fired a missile at the Gibraltar Eagle, causing a fire in the ship's hold but causing no injuries or major damage to the ship.
The White House has reported that Houthi attacks against shipping in the area have affected more than 50 nations that either owned or administered the ships or had crewmembers on the ships that were attacked. The U.S. Maritime Administration has advised U.S.-owned ships to avoid traveling near Yemen until further notice because of the ongoing "risk to commercial vessels."
Learn more about the chaotic conflicts in Israel and the rest of the Middle East at WWIII.news.
Watch this clip from "Vantage with Palki Sharma" on Firstpost as she reports on the latest Houthi strikes against shipping in the Red Sea.
This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.
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U.S. and U.K. warplanes bomb Houthi targets in Yemen in another significant escalation of Gaza war.
U.S. destroyer intercepts drone, missile attacks launched by Houthi rebels toward Israel.
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