US-led marine coalition foils ‘large-scale’ Houthi drone attack in Red Sea

In this photo provided by the Ministry of Defense, Sea Ceptor missiles are fired from HMS Richmond shooting down two Houthi drones, on Mar. 9, 2024, in the Red Sea. (AP)

• The US Central Command said that its navy ships, warplanes and others from allied countries shot down 15 drones fired by the Houthis in Yemen
• The French military also said that its warships and aircraft shot down four drones launched by the Houthis on Saturday

AL-MUKALLA: A maritime coalition led by the US in the Red Sea foiled a major drone attack by the Houthis on Saturday as the Yemeni militia claimed to have fired dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at commercial and navy ships.
The US Central Command said that its navy ships, warplanes and others from allied countries shot down 15 drones fired by the Houthis in Yemen at commercial and navy ships in the Red Sea, accusing the militia of endangering international maritime navigation in the strategic shipping channel.
The French military also said that its warships and aircraft shot down four drones launched by the Houthis on Saturday targeting the EU maritime operation in the Gulf of Aden.
In Sanaa, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said that their naval and drone forces launched a “number” of missiles at the “US-owned” cargo ship Propel Fortune, as well as 37 drones at US Navy vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis claim that their missile and drone assaults against US ships are both in support of the Palestinian people and vengeance for US and UK bombings on regions under their control in Yemen.
According to information about the targeted ship on www.marinetraffic.com, which provides data on ship movements and whereabouts, the bulk carrier is sailing under the flag of Singapore and left India’s Dhamra Port on Feb. 25 to an undisclosed location, posting a “No connect to Israel” message on the website to avoid being targeted by the Houthis.
Since November, Iran-backed Houthis have seized a commercial ship and launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles, and remotely operated and explosive-laden boats, against foreign commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis claim that their strikes are intended to push Israel to release supplies of water, food and medicine into the besieged Gaza Strip in Palestine.
However, many Yemenis believe that the Houthis are attacking ships to win the hearts and minds of Yemenis who are outraged by Israeli military operations in Gaza, to divert attention away from their failure to address public services or pay public employees in areas under their control, and to prepare for attacks against their opponents in Yemen.
Tawfeeq Al-Sharjabi, Yemen’s water and environment minister, and a member of the Yemen government’s crisis cell tasked with dealing with the sunk MV Rubymar ship in the Red Sea, told Arab News that an oil spill expert from the UN team would assist in the rescue of the ship after arriving in Aden on Saturday and that the remaining four members of the same team would arrive in the coming days.
“When the remaining specialists arrive, which is anticipated within a few days, they will meet with the government’s ship crisis management cell to go over the emergency response plan and commence field landing and inspection,” Al-Sharjabi said.
On March 2, the Belize-flagged and Lebanese-operated ship sank in the Red Sea, carrying more than 21,000 tons of ammonium phosphate-sulfate NPS fertilizer and more than 200 tons of gasoline, almost two weeks after being severely damaged by Houthi missiles.
The ship has raised concerns about an impending environmental calamity in the Red Sea, prompting the Yemeni authorities to request international aid in retrieving the ship.
On Saturday, hundreds of people, including fishermen, organized a demonstration in the Red Sea Khokha region to condemn Houthi assaults on ships in the Red Sea and to urge for the rescue of the sinking ship.
The demonstrators held banners accusing the Houthis of harming Red Sea security and nautical life, as well as threatening their livelihoods.
“The targeting of commercial ships damaged us, the fishermen, not Israel,” read one of the posters.
“Thousands of fishermen’s families face famine due to the Rubymar ship’s sinking,” said another.