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Two missiles fired from an area in Yemen held by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) missed a commercial oil and chemical tanker near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Associated Press reported on December 13, citing a United States official.
The tanker that was targeted, the Marshall Islands-flagged Ardmore Encounter, was traveling north toward the Suez Canal in the Red Sea. The vessel had been coming from India and had an armed security crew aboard it, according to data transmitted by the ship.
An American warship also shot down a suspected Houthi drone flying in its direction during the incident, the unnamed official told AP, noting that no one was hurt in the attack.
Earlier, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, earlier reported an incident in the same area of the Ardmore Encounter. It also reported another incident occurring off the coast of Oman.
The Houthis, who are a part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” that is backed by Iran and opposes Israel, were most likely behind the attack.
The group has fired several missiles and drones at the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Palestinian Gaza Strip. It has also assaulted a number of Israeli-owned ships.
Last week, the Houthis announced that they will start targeting any ship passing through the Red Sea en route to Israel, regardless of whether the ship’s ownership is linked to the country, in response to the Israeli blockade on Gaza. A Norwegian-owned tanker that was sailing to an Israeli port was the first to be targeted by the group after the threat.
After the Houthis’ last threat, Israel reinforced its presence in the Red Sea by deploying one of its advanced Sa’ar 6-class corvette to Eilat. The U.S. is also reportedly working on a naval task force to counter the group, although this could lead to more escalation.
why don’t you try to attack them? because you all know that these guys are no joke, and have superb military hardware. and because all of you are just prick and cowards.