London. A Portuguese-flagged cargo ship was the target of a drone attack at one end of the Arabian Sea, fitting claims by Yemen’s Houthi fighters that they attacked a ship in the area, officials said Tuesday.
The attack on the MSC Orion, which occurred about 600 kilometers off the coast of Yemen, appears to be the first confirmed attack at such a distance that the Houthis claim since they began attacking some ships in the region last November. The attack suggests that the Houthis — or possibly their main benefactor, Iran — may have the ability to attack ships sailing in the Indian Ocean as they previously threatened as part of their ongoing campaign related to Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The attack occurred last Friday, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, which operates as part of the United States-led Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East. After the attack, the crew discovered remains of what appears to be a drone on the deck, the center said.
The vessel “suffered only minor damage and all crew on board are safe,” the center said. Ship-tracking satellite data analyzed by The Associated Press places the ship — which is headed to Salalah, Oman — in the area of Saturday’s attack.
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– 2024-05-04 15:15:29
