Houthis claim responsibility in Gulf of Aden attack; set UK ship ablaze
The Houthi militant group has struck a UK-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, while the group’s leader has threatened to escalate attacks on shipping.
A spokesperson for the Yemen-based Houthis said on Thursday that a missile attack caused a fire on the British-owned vessel.
The US Central Command said two missiles were fired at the cargo carrier, and one person had minor injuries.
The Central Command also said US aircraft and a coalition warship shot down six Houthi drones in a separate incident in the Red Sea. It said the drones were likely targeting US and coalition vessels.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a video statement on Thursday that the group will escalate its attacks in the Red Sea and nearby waters.
The Iran-backed Houthis claim solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, and have repeatedly struck vessels in the vital shipping lane since last November.
