Yemen’s Houthis claim attacks on 2 vessels in Red Sea, Indian Ocean

By Mohammed Sameai

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – The Yemeni Houthi group said Thursday it targeted two ships in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

One was an American ship and the other was owned by a company that allegedly violated the group’s ban on entering Israeli ports.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces (Houthis) carried out two military operations. The first targeted the American oil vessel OLYMPIC SPIRIT,” group spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a recorded statement. “The American vessel was attacked in the Red Sea with 11 ballistic missiles and two drones, sustaining severe and direct damage.”

Saree noted that the second operation involved a cruise missile striking the St. John vessel with “a direct hit” in the Indian Ocean.

He indicated that the St. John was targeted because the owning company had violated the ban on entering ports of occupied Palestine without specifying the nationality of the ship.

There has been no immediate response by Washington.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.​​​​​​​

The Houthis have been targeting Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7 last year.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, earlier this year to counter Houthi attacks.