Yemen's Houthi Rebels Claim Attacks Targeting Natural Gas Vessel 'Mado’ in Gulf of Aden

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Tuesday claimed attacks targeting a vessel in the Gulf of Aden that had previously been targeted in the Red Sea. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree in a pre-recorded statement said the rebels targeted the Mado, a liquified natural gas carrier.

The vessel was twice targeted by Houthi fire on March 15 and March 17, with the attacks both times missing the vessel. Neither attack caused damage nor injuries. The Houthis have attacked ships since November, saying they want to force Israel to end its offensive in the Gaza Strip against Hamas.

The ships targeted by the Houthis, however, largely have had little or no connection to Israel, the U.S. or other nations involved in the war. The rebels have also fired missiles toward Israel, though they have mostly fallen short or been intercepted.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels also targeted a tanker in the Red Sea earlier on Friday but the ship’s crew was unharmed, authorities said. It was the latest in the rebels’ campaign against shipping over Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center initially reported the ship had been “struck by a missile” off the port city of Hodeida but later Friday said that further inspection of the vessel in daylight found no damage. It described the crew as being “safe” and said the ship was continuing on its way.

The private security firm Ambrey also reported Friday’s attack and said the tanker with armed guards aboard had a “near miss” on Thursday off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. It said the ship had been Israel-affiliated but changed owners in February.

In a statement, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the tanker as the Panama-flagged, Vietnamese-owned Pacific 01. That tanker previously had been owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which has been repeatedly targeted by the Houthis. That company is ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.

The rebels also claimed they targeted an American destroyer, without elaborating. U.S. warships have repeatedly been targeted by Houthi missile and drone attacks.The U.S. military’s Central Command in a statement acknowledged the Houthis fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles Friday into the Red Sea, but said they didn’t hit anything.

The UKMTO and Ambrey reported another attack late Friday, but said the Houthi fire missed the Marshall Islands-flagged gas carrier it apparently tried to target. The Houthis have attacked ships since November, saying they want to force Israel to end its offensive in Gaza.