Page 2 - Yemen

Attempts on to salvage oil tanker blown up by Yemen's Houthi rebels

A new attempt has begun to try to salvage an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, a European Union naval mission said Saturday. The EU's Operation Aspides published images dated Saturday of its vessels escorting ships heading to the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion. The mission has been actively involved in this complex endeavour, by creating a secure environment, which is necessary for the tugboats to conduct the towing operation, the EU said. A phone number for the mission rang unanswered Saturday. The Sounion came under attack from the Houthis beginning August 21. The vessel had been staffed by a crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel, who were taken by a French destroyer to nearby Djibouti. The Houthis later planted explosives aboard the ship and detonated them. That's led to fears the ship's 1 million barrels of crude oil could spill into the Red Sea. The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels wi

Yemen's Houthi rebels suspected of firing missiles at a container ship

Two missiles suspected to have been fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden late Friday, splashing down nearby without causing any damage, authorities said. The attack comes after the Houthis repeatedly assaulted and then boarded a Greek-flagged oil tanker in the nearby Red Sea, planting explosives on it they later detonated. That attack, the worst in weeks, risked a major oil spill as the rebels' campaign disrupts the USD 1 trillion in goods that pass through the Red Sea each year over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, as well as halting some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen. The attack Friday saw two missiles exploding in close proximity to the vessel some 240 kilometres east of Aden, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. The ship reports all crew are safe and proceeding to next port of call, the UKMTO said. Investigations are ongoing. The Joint Maritime Information

Houthi video shows rebels planting bombs on tanker, risking oil spill

Yemen's Houthi rebels released footage on Thursday showing their fighters boarded and placed explosives on a Greek-flagged tanker, setting off blasts that put the Red Sea at risk of a major oil spill. The vessel was abandoned earlier, after the Houthis repeatedly attacked it. In the video, the Iran-backed Houthis chant their motto as the bombs detonated aboard the oil tanker Sounion: God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam. The blasts capped the most-serious attack in weeks by the Houthis in their campaign disrupting the $1 trillion in goods that pass through the Red Sea each year over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, as well as halting some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen. The Sounion carried some 1 million barrels of oil when the Houthis initially attacked it on Aug 21 with small arms fire, projectiles and a drone boat. A French destroyer operating as part of the European Union's Operation Aspides rescued th

Floods in Northern Yemen kill at least 33 people, damage over 200 homes

Floods that swept through a district in northern Yemen this week have killed at least 33 people and damaged more than 200 houses, a local official said. Heavy rains that began Tuesday as part of Yemen's monsoon season have caused major flooding and unleashed rockslides in the Melhan district of Al-Mahwit province. The floods have killed 33 people, destroyed 28 houses and caused cracks in 200 others, Ali al-Zikam, secretary-general of the local council of Al-Mahwit province, said late Wednesday on Facebook. The flooding also swept away five cars and left several people missing, he said. Yemen's Red Crescent said Thursday that 38 people are still missing, and that the agency is actively looking for them. The magnitude of the disaster in al-Mahwit is substantial, " the agency said. Yemenis have already been suffering from a ruinous civil war that tore through their country starting in 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa and much of the north and force

Houthis will allow rescue ships to aid tanker ablaze in Red Sea: Iran

Yemen's Houthi rebels have agreed to allow tugboats and rescue ships to assist a Greek-flagged oil tanker that remains ablaze in the Red Sea in consideration of humanitarian and environmental concerns, Iran's UN Mission said late Wednesday. The Pentagon said Tuesday that attempts by an unidentified third party to send two tugboats to the stricken Sounion were blocked by the Iranian-backed Houthis. Air Force Maj Gen Pat Ryder told reporters that the Houthis' actions demonstrate their blatant disregard for not only human life, but also for the potential environmental catastrophe that this presents. Last week's attack on the Sounion marked the most serious assault in weeks by the Houthi rebels, who continue to target shipping through the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The attacks have disrupted the $1 trillion in trade that typically passes through the region, as well as halted some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen. Iran's UN Mission ...

13 died after boat carrying migrants sunk off Yemen's coast, says UN

A boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Yemen, leaving more than two dozen people dead or missing, the UN migration agency said Sunday, the latest in a string of shipwrecks that have left scores dead. Despite a nearly decade-long civil war, Yemen which borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast remains a major route for migrants from East Africa trying to reach wealthy Gulf countries for work. The vessel was carrying 25 Ethiopian migrants and the boat captain and his assistant, both Yemeni, when it capsized Tuesday off the province of Taiz, the International Organisation for Migration said in a statement. The bodies of 11 men and two women were recovered along the shore of Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, while the 14 others including the two Yemenis remain missing. The migrants departed from Djibouti, IOM said. This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the perils faced by migrants on this route, said Matt Huber, IOM's ..

DP World's half-year profits fall nearly 60%, partly over Red Sea attacks

Dubai-based port operator DP World reported on Thursday its half-year profits fell by nearly 60 per cent, in part over the ongoing attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war that have affected shipping through the Red Sea. DP World reported profits of USD 265 million this year, down from USD 651 million the same time last year. DP World Group's chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, acknowledged that the Red Sea disruptions affected the firm's revenues. The year 2024 has been marked by a deteriorating geopolitical environment and disruptions to global supply chains due to the Red Sea crisis, he said in a statement included in the results. While the near-term trading outlook remains uncertain due to macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds, the resilient financial performance of the first half ... positions us well to deliver stable full year adjusted" profits. Bin Sulayem did not elaborate on what specific effects the Houthi attacks had been having on DP World,

Ship in Red Sea targeted in third attack by suspected Yemen's Houthi rebels

A ship in the Red Sea was targeted in a third attack suspected to have been carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels Tuesday in their campaign of assaults over the Israel-Hamas war, officials said. The attacks come as the rebels' main sponsor, Iran, weighs possible retaliation against Israel over the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh in July, which has renewed fears of a wider regional war in the Middle East. Already, the Houthi assaults have disrupted the USD 1 trillion annual flow of goods through the maritime route crucial to trade among Asia, Europe and the Middle East, while also sparking the most intense combat for the US Navy since World War II. The ship was first attacked around 115 kilometers (70 miles) south of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. An explosive was detonated near the ship, then a small vessel acting suspiciously flashed a light near the ship and came close, actions that .

'Grim forecast for next 5 years': S Jaishankar on current global challenges

EAM S Jaishankar acknowledged that, despite his generally optimistic outlook, the world is currently facing an exceptionally challenging period

Suspected Houthi attack targets ship in southern Red Sea, officials say

A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the southern reaches of the Red Sea early Tuesday, officials said, the latest in their campaign of assaults over the Israel-Hamas war. The attack comes as Yemen's main sponsor, Iran, weighs a possible retaliatory attack against Israel over the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh in late July, which has renewed fears of a wider regional war breaking out across the Mideast. Already, the Houthi assaults have have disrupted the $1 trillion of goods that flow annually through the maritime route crucial to trade between Asia, Europe and the Middle East, while also sparking the most intense combat the US Navy has seen since World War II. The attack happened around 115 kilometres (70 miles) south of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. The attack saw an explosive detonate near the ship, though the vessel and crew are reported safe, the UKMTO

Suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi targets ship in Bab el-Mandeb Strait

A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a ship on Thursday in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, authorities said. The Houthis did not immediately claim the assault, though it follows a monthslong campaign by the rebels targeting shipping through the Red Sea corridor over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. After a recent two-week pause, their attacks have resumed following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, the Houthis' main benefactor, amid renewed concerns over the war breaking out into a regional conflict. The attack saw a rocket-propelled grenade explode close to the ship, according to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre. Two smaller craft, with men aboard wearing white and yellow raincoats, launched the RPG, the UKMTO said. The vessel and crew are reported to be safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call, the centre added. Authorities are ...

US military destroys Iranian-backed Houthi cruise missile in Yemen

A suspected missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck a container ship travelling through the Gulf of Aden, authorities said on Sunday, likely the first assault by the group since Israeli airstrikes targeted them. The Houthis have offered no explanation for the two-week pause in their attacks on shipping through the Red Sea corridor, which have seen similar slowdowns since the assaults began in November over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But the resumption comes after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, the Houthis' main benefactor, amid renewed concerns over the war breaking out into a regional conflict. The attack on Saturday happened some 225 kilometers (140 miles) southeast of Aden in a stretch of the Gulf of Aden that has seen numerous Houthi attacks previously. A security official on the vessel said a missile struck the vessel, but no fires, water ingress or oil leaks have been observed, according to a statement from the British military'

Houthi sea-drone strikes on vessels require armed-guards review: India

India's Directorate General of Shipping said in a notice on its website that the recent spate of sea-drone attacks has raised the question of how effective some private security providers are

Struck several Houthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks: Israel Army

The Israeli army says it has struck several Houthi targets in western Yemen on Saturday following a fatal drone attack by the rebel group in Tel Aviv the previous day. A number of military targets were hit in the western port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold, the Israeli army said, adding that its attack was in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on social media platform X that Yemen was subjected to a blatant Israeli aggression that targeted fuel storage facilities and the province's power station. He said the attacks aim to increase the suffering of the people and to pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza. Abdulsalam said the attacks will only make the people of Yemen and its armed forces more determined to support Gaza.

Houthi militants strike, damage Singapore-flagged vessel in Gulf of Aden

A Singapore-flagged vessel was damaged in an attack allegedly by Houthi militants southeast of Yemen on Friday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement. The MPA said it was informed that container vessel the LOBIVIA was hit by "unidentified projectiles" while transiting the Gulf of Aden, resulting in a fire onboard that was subsequently extinguished by the crew. There are no Singaporeans among the crew, Channel News Asia reported, citing the authority and adding that all crew are accounted for and safe. Despite being hit, the vessel was able to set sail and arrived at Somalia's Berbera Port. Damage assessment and repairs, if needed, will be carried out, it said. MPA said it is in contact with the vessel manager to provide any assistance that might be needed. The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has also alerted its security partners in the Gulf of Aden region to provide help, it added. In a televised speech, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea s

Drone strike by Houthi rebels kills one, wounds at least 10 in Tel Aviv

An Iranian-made drone sent by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck Tel Aviv on Friday, leaving one person dead and at least 10 wounded in the group's first lethal strike into Israel. The aerial strike rumbled through the center of the city near the US Embassy, causing shrapnel to rain down and spreading shards of glass over a large radius. The hit in Israel's biggest city was startling because the drone appeared to have crossed much of the country through the multilayered air defenses that have intercepted almost all of the drones and rockets that Yemen's Houthis have been launching toward Israel since the Gaza war began. Most have failed even to reach Israel's southernmost city, Eilat, on the Red Sea some 270 kilometers (160 miles) south of Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said it was investigating what went wrong. Chief spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the drone was detected by air defenses, but an error occurred and there was no interception." We are investigating the entire cha

Yemen's Houthi rebels launch two missile attacks targeting ships in Red Sea

Two attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted ships in the Red Sea on Monday as a new US aircraft carrier approached the region to provide security for the key international trade route that has been under assault since the Israel-Hamas war erupted nine months ago. Three small Houthi vessels, two of which were crewed and another uncrewed, attacked the Panama-flagged and Israeli-owned MT Bently I off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, according to British and American authorities. The reported unmanned small craft collided with the vessel twice and the 2 manned small craft fired at the vessel," the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reported. The vessel conducted self-protection measures, after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack." The captain later reported three separate waves of missile attacks that exploded in close proximity to the vessel. Later on Monday, in a separate incident off the same coast, the MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged an

Yemen's Houthi rebels launch a suspected attack on a ship in Red Sea

A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, as a new US aircraft carrier approached the region to provide security for the key international trade route that has been under assault since the Israel-Hamas war erupted nine months ago. The captain of the ship reported being attacked by three small vessels, two of which were crewed and another uncrewed, off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. The reported unmanned small craft collided with the vessel twice and the 2 manned small craft fired at the vessel", the UKMTO reported. The vessel conducted self-protection measures, after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack." The captain later reported two separate waves of missile attacks, approximately 45 minutes apart, that exploded in close proximity to the vessel. The ship, whose name and flag were not released, and all crew are reported safe, the UKMTO said in a warni

Suspected attack by Houthis targets ship transiting Bab el-Mandeb Strait

A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a Liberian-flagged tanker in the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, as authorities acknowledged the rebels launched their longest-range attack yet on a US-flagged vessel near the Arabian Sea. The attacks come after an unexplained pause of a week and a half. The rebels may be regrouping ahead of the arrival of a new U.S. aircraft carrier to the region after the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower began heading home. The Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the U.S. Navy, identified the Liberian-flagged vessel as the Mount Fuji. The attack occurred south of Mocha, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The captain reported explosions off the vessel's side. The vessel and all crew are safe, the UKMTO said. The vessel is proceeding to its next port of call. The Houthis have been attacking ships in the busy Red Sea corridor since November after the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza. Th

'Houthis could free detained political leader under swap deal,' says UN

Yemen's Houthi rebels could free a political leader with ties to the internationally recognised government who has been detained for nearly a decade, under a preliminary prisoner swap deal announced by the United Nations on Monday. Mohamed Qahtan is the leader of the Sunni Islamist Islah party, which is aligned with the Saudi Arabia-backed government, and he has been held incommunicado by the Iranian-backed Houthis since 2015, the United Nations said. The office of UN special envoy Hans Grundberg convened a meeting in Oman with the International Committee of the Red Cross over the weekend to facilitate talks centred on a prisoner exchange, in accordance with the 2018 Stockholm Agreement, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The two Yemeni sides agreed to meet to discuss the final list of who will be released and the details of Qahtan's release, Dujarric said, without providing details on the potential agreement. Qahtan's release has been a point of contention for years, Dujarric ..