Vessel hit by Yemen’s Houthis arrives safely in Djibouti
A container ship struck by Houthi militants off Yemen on Saturday, marking the first attack in two weeks, has safely arrived in Djibouti. The Greek manager of the vessel confirmed that there were no injuries or water ingress as a result of the strike. The Liberia-flagged MV Groton was reportedly targeted by ballistic missiles in the Gulf of Aden, according to the Iran-aligned Houthis. This attack is the first on shipping lanes since a retaliatory Israeli airstrike on Hodeidah port on July 20. The ship was hit about 60 nautical miles from the Yemeni coast while traveling from Dubai to Jeddah. Following the attack, it was diverted to Djibouti, where it arrived on Sunday. The ship’s manager, Conbulk Shipmanagement Corporation, reported that the crew managed to extinguish a fire that broke out in the cargo holds and containers on the main deck. A full assessment of the damage will be conducted, with repairs to follow. This incident is the first Houthi attack since a period of relative calm following the Israeli strike on Hodeidah, which occurred after an Iranian-backed drone attack on Tel Aviv. The Houthis have been targeting international shipping near Yemen since last November in support of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas conflict. These attacks have led to retaliatory strikes by the U.S. and Britain and have disrupted global trade, prompting shipowners to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
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