US officials reported that a US-owned ship sailing in the Gulf of Aden was subjected to a missile attack launched from Yemen. The targeted vessel, identified as the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a bulk carrier flagged by the Marshall Islands, experienced the attack without sustaining injuries or significant damage.
The ship is owned by Eagle Bulk, a shipping company based in Stamford, Connecticut. The US Central Command asserted that the incident occurred around 4 pm (Sanaa time) when Houthi militants, supported by Iran, launched an anti-ship ballistic missile from their controlled areas in Yemen. Despite the attack, the M/V Gibraltar Eagle continued its journey without interruption.
Earlier in the day, at approximately 2 pm (Sanaa time), US Forces detected another anti-ship ballistic missile aimed at the Southern Red Sea commercial shipping lanes. Fortunately, the missile malfunctioned in flight and landed on Yemeni soil, causing no injuries or damage.
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The Defence Department reported that, as of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the missile strike. This incident underscores the precarious maritime situation in the region and the potential threats faced by commercial shipping.
On January 12, the US and British militaries conducted airstrikes on more than a dozen sites used by the Houthis in Yemen. The US Air Force’s Mideast command stated that it targeted over 60 locations at 16 sites in Yemen, including “command-and-control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems.”
