World News | 2 US-flagged Ships with Cargo for US Defence Department Come Under Suspected Yemen Rebel Attack
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Two American-flagged ships carrying cargo for the US Defence and State departments came under attack off Yemen on Wednesday, officials said, with the US Navy intercepting some of the incoming fire.
Jerusalem, Jan 24 (AP) Two American-flagged ships carrying cargo for the US Defence and State departments came under attack off Yemen on Wednesday, officials said, with the US Navy intercepting some of the incoming fire.
Suspicion immediately fell on Yemen's Houthi rebels for carrying out the assault.
The attacks on the container ships Maersk Detroit and Maersk Chesapeake further raise the stakes of the group's ongoing attacks on shipping through the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The US and the United Kingdom have launched multiple rounds of airstrikes seeking to stop the attacks.
Meanwhile, Qatar, one of the world's top exporters of liquified natural gas, warned that its deliveries were affected by ongoing Houthi attacks over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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Danish shipper Maersk, in a statement to The Associated Press, identified two of its vessels affected by the attacks as the US-flagged container ships Maersk Detroit and Maersk Chesapeake. It said the US Navy was accompanying its ships at the time.
“While en route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the US Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles,” Maersk said. “The crew, ship, and cargo are safe and unharmed. The US Navy has turned both ships around and is escorting them back to the Gulf of Aden.”
Maersk said both vessels carried cargo belonging to the US Defence and State Departments, as well as other government agencies, meaning they were “afforded the protection of the US Navy for passage through the strait.”
The ships were operated by Maersk Line, a US subsidiary of Maersk that is “suspending transits in the region until further notice,” the company said.
The US military's Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Houthis, who have been launching attacks on ships since November over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, did not immediately acknowledge the incident.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.
The US and the UK have launched rounds of airstrikes targeting suspected missile storage and launch sites used by the Houthis in their attacks. The rebels now say they'll target American and British ships as well.
Meanwhile, Qatar announced its shipments of liquified natural gas had been affected by the Houthi attacks.
Previous shipments had been delayed previously before heading through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
Qatar, which has served as a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, has yet to see any of its ships attacked, however. A statement from its state-owned QatarEnergy producer said that its “production continues uninterrupted, and our commitment to ensuring the reliable supply of LNG to our customers remains unwavering.”
“While the ongoing developments in the Red Sea area may impact the scheduling of some deliveries as they take alternative routes, LNG shipments from Qatar are being managed with our valued buyers,” the statement said.
The statement suggests QatarEnergy's cargos now are traveling around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, likely adding time to their trips. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)