SANAA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi armed group in a statement on Monday claimed responsibility for launching attacks and damaging the Liberian-flagged commercial vessel "MAGIC SEAS" in the Red Sea that occurred on Sunday, using ballistic missiles, unmanned boats, and drones.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement, aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, that "The operation was carried out using two unmanned boats, five ballistic and cruise missiles, and three drones."
Sarea said the ship "is now at risk of sinking, and our forces allowed the crew to safely leave the ship."
He added that "the targeting operation came after calls and warnings issued by our naval forces to the aforementioned ship, but its crew refused all of these warnings."
"We will not hesitate to use appropriate force to prevent any ship belonging to this company that has dealt with the Zionist enemy and violated the ban on entry to occupied Palestinian ports," Sarea said.
"We affirm that the ships of this company are a legitimate target for our forces wherever we can reach, and they bear full responsibility," he said, affirming that the Houthi armed forces "will continue to prevent Israeli navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea and to disrupt the port of Eilat until the Israeli aggression on Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted."
On Sunday, Britain's Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) reported on the social media platform X that a vessel came under attack 51 nautical miles southwest of Yemeni Hodeidah port city after multiple small boats surrounded it and opened fire using small arms and self-propelled grenades. It also said that the vessels' armed security team shot back.
It then reported that the security team and all crew members of the vessel were allowed to abandon the vessel after two unmanned bomb-laden boats hit the left side of the ship, causing a hole that let water in.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have been targeting Israeli cities and Israeli-linked ships since November 2023 to show solidarity with Palestinians and to pressure an end to the war and blockade on the Gaza Strip. ■
