Yemeni Houthi rebel group claimed responsibility; said ships would have ties to Israel
The Pentagon, headquarters of the US Department of Defense, said it is investigating an attack on US warships and merchant ships in the Red Sea carried out this Sunday (December 3, 2023). One of these would be the USS Carney a US Navy destroyer. The information comes from the British newspaper Guardian.
The attack was claimed by the Yemeni rebel group Houthis. The extremists said in a statement that it was an action against two Israelilinked ships near the strategic BabelMandeb Strait. There was no mention of a military ship in the statement. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, confirmed responsibility for the attack.
On his social media profile, Yahya Sarea said the attack was in response to “the demands of the Yemeni people as well as the calls of the free people of Arab and Islamic nations to fully support the Palestinian people.”
The spokesman said that the group attacked the ships Unity Explorer and Number 9. The first ship was attacked by a missile and the second ship was attacked by a maritime drone.
“The two ships were fired upon after they rejected warnings from the Yemeni naval forces. Yemeni forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from sailing in the Red and Arabian Seas until Israeli aggression against our loyal brothers in Gaza ceases,” said Yahya Sarea.
The spokesman stated that “all Israeli or Israelaffiliated vessels will become a legitimate target if they violate the statements in this and previous statements by the Yemeni Armed Forces.”