According to Reuters on March 6, British maritime security company Ambrey said on Wednesday that a Barbados-flagged U.S. bulk carrier had struck a spot off the port of Aden in southern Yemen.
At the time of the incident, the U.S. bulk carrier, which was about 57 nautical miles southwest of the port of Aden, received an order from an entity calling itself the Yemeni Navy to change course, Ambrey said. Nearby vessels reported that the bulk carrier then had an incident**.
The UK's Office of Maritime Operations (UKMTO) also said that ships near the incident reported that they heard a loud bang. Large clouds of smoke were also found afterwards.
According to Reuters, since November 2023, Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched drone and missile strikes on ships in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. Houthis said they were attacking in opposition to Israel's military offensive in Gaza.
On the evening of the 5th, Yemen's Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarreya issued a statement saying that the Houthis used drones and missiles to attack two US Navy destroyers sailing in the Red Sea. On the same day, the U.S. Command issued a statement on social media that the U.S. military shot down one anti-ship ballistic missile and three drones fired at the USS Qarney from the Houthi-controlled area in Yemen in the Red Sea.
Chen Jia.