Missile hits ship off Yemen, U.S. strikes Houthi rockets

A missile strike damaged a merchant ship in the Red Sea off Yemen, marine security monitors said Friday, a day after the United States military said it had destroyed nine anti-ship ballistic missiles and two drones fired by Houthi rebels on ships off the country’s coast.

“A merchant vessel has reported that they have been struck by a missile and the vessel has sustained some damage,” said the British navy’s United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations.

The crew of the stricken vessel was not injured and it continued its journey, added the UKMTO and security firm Ambrey after the incident west of the rebel-held port of Hodeida in the early hours of Friday.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the Houthis, who have launched dozens of missile and drone strikes on shipping in the commercially vital seaway over the past four months.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command said the strikes on the missiles and drones in Yemen were made “to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer” for US Navy and merchant vessels.

“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region,” CENTCOM said late Thursday on social media platform X.

CENTCOM also said that two missiles fired by the Houthi rebels towards the Red Sea and two towards the Gulf of Aden had caused no damage or injuries.

The UKMTO said Thursday that the master of a vessel sailing southwest of the Yemeni port of Hudaydah had reported two missiles flying overheard and “heard two loud blasts in the distance.”

The ship reported no damage and that its crew was safe, the UKMTO added.

That followed a similar incident earlier on Thursday when another vessel southeast of Aden reported an explosion astern that also caused no damage or injuries.

The Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking ships in the region since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s war against Hamas militants in Gaza.