Attack on the British Ship LYCAVITOS
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen announced that they had attacked the British ship LYCAVITOS in the Gulf of Aden in the south of the country. The military spokesperson for the Houthis, Yahya Seri, stated on Thursday in a written declaration that they had hit the British ship LYCAVITOS, located in the Gulf of Aden in southern Yemen, with a „suitable naval missile.“ Seri stated that the attack was carried out in support of the Palestinian people, highlighting that the USA and the United Kingdom were taking further actions to respond to the attacks in Yemen and support the Palestinian people. While no details were provided about the consequences of the attack, there has been no statement from England so far.
Attack by US and British Forces on Hudaydah
On the other hand, the Houthis announced that US and British forces launched an attack on the city of Hudaydah in western Yemen for the second time on Thursday. According to the Houthi-affiliated Al-Mesira TV, the USA and Great Britain carried out two attacks in the Al-Cebbane region of the city of Hudaydah on the Red Sea coast. Although no information was given about the consequences of the attack, there has been no statement from the USA and Great Britain yet. Al-Mesira TV announced in a message released during the day that the USA and England had carried out an attack on the Bayt al-Fakif region in the city of Hudaydah.
Situation in the Red Sea
In response to Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen, with the support of Iran, began seizing merchant ships off the coast of Yemen on October 31, 2023, which were allegedly linked to Israeli companies, and started attacking some of them with unmanned aircraft and rockets. The US military announced that during this period they had intercepted rockets and kamikaze drones fired from Yemen multiple times. Following the actions of the Houthis, many shipping companies decided to suspend their voyages in the Red Sea. The USA announced that on December 18, 2023, a multinational „maritime Task Force“ called „Operation Welfare Guardian“ was formed involving a group of countries to combat the Houthi forces, citing the endangerment of global maritime trade security. Three Houthi speedboats attempting to hijack the Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea on December 31, 2023, came under fire from US helicopters. The Houthis announced that on January 10, a US ship in the Red Sea was attacked with rockets and kamikaze drones, claiming it was supporting Israel. The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on January 11, presented by the USA and Japan, calling for an immediate end to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Approximately 12 percent of global trade is conducted through the Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and providing the shortest route between Europe and Asia.
Source: T24