Aden (South24)

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Today, British maritime security company Ambrey said that a commercial ship off the Yemeni coast in the Red Sea was taking on water after being targeted by three missiles.

Initial reports from Ambrey, shared by various media outlets, stated the ship had issued a distress call and was tilted to one side after suffering damage to its cargo hold, in waters about 54 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah.

Later reports, citing Greek shipping sources, indicated the ship was sailing to a nearby port in the United Arab Emirates to assess the damage.

According to the Associated Press, the location of the attack, likely carried out by the Houthis, corresponds to the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Laax, which was heading to Fujairah in the UAE.

In a separate statement today, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received reports of an incident 31 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah.

The UKMTO statement said the ship had sustained damage after being hit by missiles, though the crew has been reported safe and the ship is continuing to its next port of call.

Currently, there are no more details on this potential second attack and it's unclear whether the UKMTO statement was referring to the attack on the Laax.

So far, the Houthis have not claimed responsibility for any attack, though it’s expected the group’s spokesman will make a statement in the coming hours.

Yesterday, the Houthis announced they had carried out three joint military operations using missiles.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said that the first and second operations targeted the American ship Largo Desert and the Israeli ship, the MSSC Michela, in the Indian Ocean. 

The third operation allegedly targeted the Minerva Lisa ship. Sarea’s statement did not specify its nationality or where it was targeted, though information from VesselFinder lists the vessel as Liberian-flagged.

The Houthis also announced that they had carried out two drone operations targeting two American war destroyers in the Red Sea.

In a statement on X, US Central Command said that yesterday, it destroyed a drone launched from an area controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. 

27 May Red Sea Update

At approximately 4 a.m. (Sanaa time) on May 27, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed one uncrewed aerial system (UAS) over the Red Sea, launched from an Iranian-backed Houthi controlled area of Yemen.

It was determined the UAS… pic.twitter.com/Wvthx2g9jA

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 27, 2024

Yesterday, the UK Royal Navy announced the deployment of the Type-45 Destroyer HMS Duncan into service in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to protect vital trade routes from attacks by the Houthi militia.

An article on the UK military news website, Forces.net, indicated the deployment of the HMS Duncan serves to replace the destroyer HMS Diamond, which has worked in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the end of last year.

The article stated that during its operation, the HMS Diamond succeeded in shooting down nine drones and one missile fired at cargo ships by the Houthis from the coast of Yemen.

In a statement today, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called for “an end to the harassment of civilian vessels and to ensure the safety of waterways in the Red Sea”. Beijing expressed its readiness to play a constructive role in this regard.

Yemeni Shaya Al-Zindani arrived in Beijing yesterday on an official visit to China, the first since his March 27 appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the internationally recognized government.