Yemen’s Houthi militia claimed responsibility for attacks on three ships in adjacent international waters, re-intensifying their maritime campaign in the region.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced that the militia had targeted the SC Montreal, Maersk Kowloon, and Motaro, citing their parent companies’ violations of a ban on sailing to Israeli ports as justification for the assaults.
The 33,900-dwt SC Montreal (IMO 9311830), a Liberian-flagged container ship en route from Salalah, Oman, to Pointe des Galets, Reunion, was attacked with two drones while sailing in the southern Arabian Sea. There are no additional details or independent confirmation of this attack.
The Maersk Kowloon (IMO 9290476), also Liberian-flagged, was reportedly targeted by a cruise missile in the Arabian Sea while sailing from Salalah in Oman. The 300m vessel, presumably unharmed, is currently off the South African coast and listing New York as her next destination and can be assumed unharmed.
These two attacks in the Arabian Sea occurred last Monday, 28 October 2024.
The 2006-built bulk carrier Motaro (IMO 9310290), another Liberian vessel travelling from Ust Luga in Russia to China, faced multiple ballistic missile strikes while in the Red Sea and approaching the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the master of the Motaro, while navigating 25 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Mocha, noted three explosions nearby; however, the vessel and its crew remained unharmed and continued on its way.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) identified the Motaro as having no direct connections to Israel, the US, or the UK but noted a subsidiary link to a vessel that had previously docked in Israel.
Saree asserted that these attacks are part of the Houthis’ broader campaign to support Palestine and Lebanon amid ongoing regional tensions.
The continuing attacks on maritime shipping in this region pose significant risks to regional and international trade, while further complicating the geopolitical landscape amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
In a related development, the Houthi spokesman claimed that drones had been launched at an industrial zone in Ashkelon, Israel, allegedly achieving their targets. Israeli media confirmed explosions in Ashkelon and Nahariya, attributing one of the drones to a launch from Lebanon.
The Israeli military confirmed that a UAV originating from Yemen had landed in an open area in Ashkelon.
These recent incidents come after previous Houthi drone and missile strikes against Israel, which provoked retaliatory airstrikes from Israeli forces targeting Houthi-controlled sites in Hodeidah, particularly in July and September.
Written by Africa Ports & Ships and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.
