The Yemeni Ansar Allah group (Houthis) announced the targeting of two ships in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, as part of what they described as the “fourth stage of escalation,” while Washington confirmed the destruction of Houthi marches, a boat, and two missiles.
The military spokesman for the Houthi group, Yahya Saree, said in a statement broadcast on television yesterday, Friday, “The naval forces, the air force, and the missile force of the Yemeni armed forces carried out two joint operations in the Red Sea against two ships belonging to companies that violated the decision to ban entry to the ports of occupied Palestine, namely the Elbella ship and the Genoa ship.” “.
Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, which operates the Malta-flagged container ship Elbella, declined to comment on these reports.
Statement by the Yemeni Armed Forces regarding the implementation of two joint military operations by the Navy, the Missile Force, and the Air Force in the Red Sea against two ships belonging to companies that violated the decision to ban entry to the ports of occupied Palestine. pic.twitter.com/aRYL0EZslD
– Brigadier General Yahya Saree (@army21ye) June 7, 2024
Destruction of marches and two missiles
On the other hand, the US Central Military Command in the Middle East (Centcom) confirmed yesterday, Friday, that the Houthis had fired 4 anti-ship ballistic missiles over the Red Sea over the past 24 hours, but no casualties or damage occurred.
Centcom said in a statement on the X platform that US forces “were able to destroy 4 drones and two anti-ship ballistic missiles in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis.”
She added that US forces also destroyed a drone “launched from an area in Yemen controlled by the Houthis towards the Bab al-Mandab Strait,” in addition to a “patrol boat” for what it described as rebels in the Red Sea.
Centcom indicated that this military equipment posed an “imminent threat” to the United States and commercial ships in the region.
Media outlets affiliated with Ansar Allah in Yemen said that the US-British coalition targeted the maintenance camp north of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, with four raids.
The group’s media outlets also reported launching 4 raids on Hodeidah Airport, and a raid on Al-Jad Marsa in Al-Salif Port, targeting fishermen’s boats.
Detention of UN staff
On the other hand, the United Nations confirmed on Friday that 11 of its employees are “detained” by the Houthis in Yemen and demanded their “unconditional” release.
Mayon Organization for Human Rights announced that the Houthis on Thursday “raided homes and kidnapped employees of the United Nations and other international organizations operating” in 4 areas under their control.
She indicated that the arrests, which took place in the governorates of Sanaa, Hodeidah, Saada, and Amran, included 10 employees of United Nations agencies, and 8 workers with local and international non-governmental organizations.
In New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, told reporters, “I can confirm to you that the Houthi authorities have arrested 11 local employees working in Yemen,” noting that the organization has called on the Houthis to provide “clarifications.”
He added, “We are exploring all possible channels to achieve the unconditional release of all these people as soon as possible.”
According to him, these are two women and 9 men, who were detained during the past three days in the governorates of Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, Saada, and Sana’a, and 6 of them work for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the other 5 work for five different agencies: UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Food Program, and the United Nations Development Programme. And the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen.
The Houthis, who control major population areas in Yemen, have been launching attacks on ships sailing off the coast of the country since November in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthi attacks disrupted global shipping traffic, forcing companies to change the course of their ships and take a longer and more expensive route around southern Africa.
The attacks also raised Western fears about the expansion of the war between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the destabilization of the Middle East.
The United States and Britain are carrying out strikes on Houthi targets in response to attacks on ships.