Houthis claimed that it has used the first domestically-made hypersonic missile against an Israeli vessel in the Arabian Sea, military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Wednesday.
The (Houthi) naval forces carried out a qualitative military operation targeting the Israeli ship, MSC SARAH V, in the Arabian Sea, and the hit was accurate and direct," Yahya Sarea, the Houthi military spokesman, said in a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
The attack was carried out with "a new ballistic missile" deployed after successful experimental operations, Sarea said, adding that the missile showcased its ability to hit targets accurately and over long distances.
The Houthi group would "continue to develop their military capabilities ... to support the Palestinian resistance militarily and to defend Yemen in the face of the American-British aggression," he said.
The Houthi operations will not stop until the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the enclave is lifted, said the spokesman, who declined to provide details about the timing of the latest attack.
The Houthi television said footage of the strike would be aired later.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Monday that a vessel operating in waters southeast of Yemen's Nishtun port had been attacked.
According to the UKMTO statement, the ship's captain reported an explosion in the vicinity of the merchant vessel.
"The crew is reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call," the UKMTO added.
Since last November, the Houthi group has been launching ballistic missiles and drones targeting what it said were Israeli-linked ships, to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In response, the U.S.-British naval coalition stationed in the area has since January conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets in a failed bid to deter it from launching further attacks
تفاصيل صاروخ باليستي فرط صوتي من نوع (حاطم2) - الذي يكشف عنه للمرة الأولى ومشاهد إطلاقه على سفينة (MSC SARAH V) الإسرائيلية في البحر العربي pic.twitter.com/PP6Mzun19K
— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) June 26, 2024
Earlier, Houthis released footage of a new “locally made” hypersonic missile called the Palestine being launched toward the embattled Israeli Red Sea port city of Eilat. Israeli officials later confirmed that Eilat had been targeted, but indicated that there was no damage or injuries to report.
The Houthis last week also showed off videos of a purported new “piloted military boat” that they said was tested for the first time. Calling it the Tufan 1, they claimed it is capable of 35 knots powered with an outboard motor, and transports 330 pounds of explosives. It appears from the videos and pictures to be smaller, more agile, and capable of cutting through the waves.
The first successful remote-controlled boat attack which was against the Tutor last month showed a much cruder wood fishing boat. The Tufan appears to be a fiberglass or composite boat which the claims are saying is more lethal.
The Houthis claimed to have deployed a second remote boat this week in a second attack on the Transworld Navigator, a Liberia-registered 178,897 dwt bulker. Managed by Stealth Maritime of Greece, the company was accused of violating the Houthis’ ban on Israeli ports. In a June 22 report, they said the vessel had been targeted in the Red Sea, and in a statement the following day they said the vessel was targeted with an unmanned boat. The vessel is still underway bound for the Suez where Philippine officials are saying they plan to repatriate the crew.
صور من مشاهد إطلاق صاروخ باليستي فرط صوتي من نوع (حاطم2) - يكشف عنه للمرة الأولى على سفينة (MSC SARAH V) الإسرائيلية في البحر العربي pic.twitter.com/YkycOoEJEu
— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) June 26, 2024
The Houthis are reporting a new wave of attacks including today claiming to have targeted the MSC Manzanillo (72,717 dwt registered in Portugal) while it was docked in Haifa. Over the weekend the Houthis claimed to have targeted four vessels in Haifa and the Shorthorn Express, a Vroom livestock carrier registered in Luxembourg while it was sailing in the Mediterranean. Other purported attacks included the Stolt Sequoia (37,620 dwt), a Liberia-registered product tanker that was bound for the UAE. Stolt denies the attack. The Joint Maritime Information Center also reported explosions near the Lila Lisbon, a St. Kitts-Nevis flagged bulker.
Houthi vowed in November 2023 to attack any ships associated with Israel until it halts military actions in the Gaza Strip. The attacks prompted the United States to form a multinational coalition, which includes the United Kingdom among others, to protect shipping in the area of the Red Sea, as well as to strike Houthi targets on the ground.
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