The Houthi rebels attack ships in the Red Sea. The use of drone boats is new. The USA is concerned about the deployment.
Sanaa – Since the Gaza outbreakwar in Israel The pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in Yemen are increasingly attacking ships in the Red Sea. The goal: prevent passage towards Israel. With the attacks, the Houthi rebels want to show solidarity with the Palestinians and thereby support the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas. On Thursday (January 4), the rebels are said to have launched a drone boat loaded with explosives. A tactic that was also used in the Ukraine war.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea: Shipping endangered by drone boats
The unmanned surface vessel (USV) was launched from Yemen and penetrated around 24 kilometers into international shipping lanes, as Business Insider reported. The drone was said to have intended to cause damage, according to Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Naval Forces Central Command Business Insider explained. The drone boat detonated, but did not hit any ship. Not only ships carrying aid supplies to the war zone are now being attacked, any container freighters are also affected by the attacks.
It is unclear what target the drone was pursuing, which was only a few kilometers away from merchant and war ships, as Cooper explained. The admiral described the deployment of the USV as “concerning.” The Iran-funded Houthis have used the drone boats several times, but this is the first time the militia has used the drone since they began attacking ships in the Red Sea. In the Ukraine War, USVs are used by both Russia and Ukraine.
USA and Germany react to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea
The United Nations said that 18 shipping companies are now rerouting their ships and allowing them to sail around Africa. The USA, Germany and ten other countries have jointly called on the Houthi rebels in Yemen to stop their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea. “We call for an immediate end to these illegal attacks and the release of the unlawfully detained vessels and crews,” the White House said in a statement.
The US had already responded to a Houthi attack on a Danish container ship on December 31 with a counterattack, sinking Houthi rebel ships. Brussels is examining whether an independent EU mission for the Red Sea needs to be created, in which Germany also wants to play an active role. (vk with afp)
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