Yemen's Houthis attack 2 cargo ships

Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for attacking two cargo ships in the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean.

"The naval forces of our armed forces carried out a second targeting operation for the ship TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR in the Red Sea with an unmanned boat, which resulted in a direct hit on the ship," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

Speaking of the U.S. aircraft carrier Eisenhower, which had just left the region, Yahya claimed that a series of Houthi attacks drove the vessel away.

Earlier in the day, a Yemeni government official said that the merchant vessel TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR, flying the Liberian flag, was struck twice by the Houthi group successively on Saturday in the Gulf of Aden, and on early Sunday, in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah.

The official said the ship was damaged but was still proceeding to its destination with no injuries reported from the crew.

These attacks are part of a broader campaign by the Houthis, which began in November 2023, targeting ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. They are part of a broader campaign by the Houthis, which began in November 2023, targeting ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The recent spate of attacks prompted the International Chamber of Shipping to last week call for urgent action to stop the Houthis' "unlawful attacks" on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. This came after the sinking of a second bulk carrier, the Greek-owned and operated Tutor, since November last year.