Shaaban Bilal (Cairo)
A commercial ship was damaged as a result of being targeted by a drone on Sunday morning off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea, and its crew was slightly injured, according to what two maritime security agencies and a joint naval force announced. The agency run by the British Royal Forces said in a statement: “The captain of a commercial ship reported that it was subjected to a strike by an unmanned aerial system, which led to damage to the ship. All crew members have been reported safe.” The attack occurred 65 nautical miles west of the Yemeni coastal city of Hodeidah, according to the agency run by the British Navy.
In turn, the British Maritime Security Agency “Ambry” reported that the ship is “a cargo carrier owned by a Greek entity and flying the Liberian flag.” This is the second attack on this ship during its current voyage, as it was “targeted with a number of missiles” a few days ago when it was sailing in the Gulf of Aden, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, affiliated with multinational naval forces that include the United States and European countries. The center said: “During its crossing in the Red Sea, the ship reported that it was injured on the side of the external ladder,” and “a number of crew members were injured with injuries that are not life-threatening and do not require immediate medical attention,” adding that the ship “continues its journey to the next port.”
In a separate incident, yesterday, the Embry Agency reported that it had received a distress call from a commercial ship off the southern coast of Yemen that “had been subjected to an uncontainable flood,” without specifying the cause. She pointed out that this forced “the captain and crew to abandon the ship.” They were rescued by a help ship,” she added, adding that “the abandoned ship is still drifting.”
These two incidents come in the context of repeated attacks carried out by the Houthis on commercial ships off the coast of Yemen. Since November, they have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Washington leads an international maritime coalition with the aim of protecting maritime navigation in this strategic region, through which 12% of global trade passes. To try to deter them, American and British forces have been launching strikes on their sites in Yemen since January 12. The US Army alone carries out strikes from time to time on missiles and drones that it says are prepared for launch.
In the same context, political and military experts considered that the Houthi attacks, the most recent of which led to the burning or sinking of three ships, represent a direct threat to global shipping traffic. Experts stressed that these attacks have very serious repercussions on the global economy.
Military and strategic expert, Major General Samir Faraj, said that the Houthi attacks cause huge losses to commercial ships of many countries, which poses a threat to global navigation. Major General Samir Faraj told Al-Ittihad that the Houthi attacks caused huge losses to the global economy, pointing to the emergence of booby-trapped speedboats with which the Houthis target these ships in the Red Sea, despite the strikes directed by international forces against their radar stations.
The value of various types of goods passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait is estimated at approximately $700 billion annually, and more than 25,000 ships pass through it annually, equivalent to about 10% of global trade.
In the same context, researcher in international political affairs, Muhammad Hamida, believed that the attacks carried out by the Houthi group in the Red Sea led to major economic damage worldwide, which greatly affected the security of maritime traffic.
Hamida added to Al-Ittihad that the continuation of the attacks affects the global economy in an unprecedented way, and results in disruption of navigation traffic for long periods. Hamida pointed out the danger of continuing operations in the Red Sea. Hamida stressed the need to push the international community to stop the attacks of the Houthi group and stop its operations that threaten stability in the region.
Cargo ships coming from Europe sail towards the Far East through the Red Sea, passing through the Suez Canal, to avoid wasting time and increasing the costs of sailing around Africa, if they use the “Cape of Good Hope” route.
For his part, military expert Brigadier General Abdullah Al Shayea confirmed that the Houthis and their attacks targeting ships passing through shipping lines in the Red Sea have security implications that also affect the smooth transit of energy-transporting ships. Brigadier General Al Shayea told Al-Ittihad that the United States and Britain did not deter the Houthis despite the strikes they directed at his sensitive centers in Yemen, stressing that the Houthis want to expand the conflict and maximize its effects, especially on maritime security.
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