One Wounded in Missile Attack on UAE Ship Off Yemen, SPA Reports

File Photo: A ship is docked at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad

DUBAI, June 15 (Reuters) – One crew member was wounded when Yemen’s Houthis fired a missile at a United Arab Emirates ship in the Red Sea, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Thursday, in the latest in a series of attacks on ships in the area.

SPA said the ship came under attack as it was leaving the port of al-Mokha. The ship itself was not damaged.

“One crew member was injured,” SPA said, citing a statement by a Saudi-led military coalition, without giving further details.

The Houthis had reported the attack earlier, broadcasting a grainy video of what Houthi-run media said was a missile being fired and then bursting into a ball of fire as it hit its target.

The attack was part of a protracted conflict between the Iran-aligned Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. The coalition wants to restore the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, whom the Houthis have forced into exile.

Al-Mokha was captured by the coalition from the Houthis earlier this year after heavy fighting. It lies close to the Bab al-Mandab shipping lane through which much of the world’s oil passes.

Several such attacks were reported since last year against Saudi, Emirati and U.S. ships in the Red Sea.

In January, two crew members of a Saudi frigate were killed in an attack close to Hodeidah port. The U.S. Navy said an unmanned remote-controlled boat laden with explosives hit the ship. The Houthis said they had fired a missile.

Last October, the Houthis fired a missile at an Emirati ship in the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait in what it described as an “act of terrorism.” (Reporting by Mostafa Hashem; Writing by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Leslie Adler, Larry King)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017.

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Sign Up