Houthi Drone Attack Strikes Vessel in Red Sea Amidst Global Tensions

A drone, likely launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels, struck a vessel in the Red Sea. This incident adds to a series of attacks that have significantly reduced shipping through the crucial maritime corridor amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

An aerial drone likely launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck a vessel in the Red Sea on Sunday, damaging it and marking the latest attack aimed at the vital maritime corridor. The incident occurred just as the US sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower back home after an eight-month deployment leading the American response to these assaults. The attacks have caused a significant drop in shipping traffic through this critical route, which serves Asian, Middle Eastern, and European markets.

According to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, the drone attack took place around dawn near the rebel-controlled port city of Hodeida. The impacted vessel, identified by the private security firm Ambrey as a Liberia-flagged container ship en route to Qingdao, China, sustained damage, though its crew were reported safe. Details on the extent of the damage remain scarce as investigations continue.

While the Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, their history shows a pattern of delayed acknowledgments following such incidents. Since November, they have launched over 60 attacks on various ships, killing four sailors, capturing one vessel, and sinking two others. The US Navy's USS Theodore Roosevelt is set to replace the Eisenhower after a scheduled exercise in the Indo-Pacific, as stated by Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.

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