The Danish shipping company Maersk on Friday denied claims of an operation with Yemen's Houthi that the militia had launched a drone attack on a Maersk ship bound for Israel.
Earlier, the Houthis claimed to have carried out a military operation against a Maersk container ship, hitting the ship directly with a drone. The Houthis made this claim in a statement, but did not release any evidence.
The Maersk Gibraltar was hit by a missile en route from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on its way from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the crew and vessel were reportedly safe, Maersk said on Thursday. A spokesman for Maersk said after a statement by the Houthis:"The ship was not hit. ”
The incident occurred near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. On Tuesday, Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a Norwegian chemical tanker.
Maersk previously stated: "The recent attack on merchant ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is very worrying. The current situation puts seafarers' lives at risk and is unsustainable for the world. ”
Houthi spokesman Al Saray said late on Thursday that militias attacked the Maersk container ship with drones after it refused to respond to warnings from Yemeni groups.
A U.S.** said the Houthis approached the Maersk cargo ship** but did not hit it, failing to force the ship to stop. Late Thursday, U.S. Command confirmed that the attack was launched by a ballistic missile and that there was no damage to personnel or property.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted in Gaza more than two months ago, Iranian-aligned Houthis have attacked ships on Red Sea shipping lanes and fired drones and missiles at Israel, fueling fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East.
The group, which controls much of Yemen, said the attacks were in support of the Palestinians and vowed to continue the attacks until Israel halted its offensive on the Gaza Strip.