After Merchant Ship Attack, US Says Yemen-Based Houthi Rebels' Drone Strikes Indian Crude Oil Vessel In Red Sea

The US military reported on Sunday (24 December) that an Indian crude oil vessel, flying the Indian flag, was struck by a drone attack launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. This incident occurred just a day following an assault on a tanker near Gujarat's coast.

“M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported. A Norwegian-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker also reported a near miss of a Houthi drone at the same time. The USS LABOON (DDG 58) responded to the distress calls from these attacks. These attacks represent the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since October 17,” US Central Command said in a statement.

On Saturday, an assumed drone strike targeted a merchant ship carrying a crew of 23, believed to include 21 Indians, in the Arabian Sea near the coast of Gujarat. The aerial assault was attributed to Iran by the US Department of Defense.

The chemical tanker CHEM PLUTO, which is Japanese-owned, operates under the Netherlands, and flies a Liberian flag, was hit around 10 a.m. local time (6 am GMT) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles off the Indian coast, by a drone launched in a one-way attack from Iran, according to a statement given to Reuters by a spokesperson from the Pentagon.

According to Indian Express, the US Navy Central Command reported that two anti-ship ballistic missiles, launched by the Houthi, were targeted at international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from areas of Yemen under Houthi control on the same day. They confirmed that no ships reported any impact from these ballistic missiles.

The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, have been creating disturbances in worldwide commerce for numerous weeks. They have been targeting vessels traversing the Bab al-Mandab Strait, claiming it to be a counteractive measure in response to Israel's conflict in Gaza.

The assaults have sparked worries regarding their effect on the transport of oil, grain, and other commodities via this significant global trade path. Consequently, they have escalated the expenses associated with insuring and transporting goods across the Red Sea.