Illustrative image.
The Houthis (Ansar Allah) had attacked a United States-flagged, owned and operated container ship near Yemen, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on January 24.
The ship was targeted with three anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen as it was sailing in the Gulf of Aden, the command said in a statement, identifying the ship as the M/V Maersk Detroit.
According to the statement, one of the missile impacted in the sea. The two other missiles were successfully engaged and shot down by the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. There were no reported injuries or damage to the ship.
The M/V Maersk Detroit was the second U.S.-owned ship to be attacked by the Houthis this week. On January 22, the group claimed they attacked the U.S. military cargo ship M/V Ocean Jazz, but did not state the location of the attack or if damage was caused.
The U.S. responded to the attack on M/V OCean Jazz by launching a joint large-scale aerial attack against the Houthis with the United Kingdom on January 23. Another wave of U.S. strikes hit Houthi missiles and launchers early on January 24.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have been targeting ships linked to Israel in response to the war on the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 25,000 Palestinians.
U.S. attempts to deter and intimidate the Houthis have failed as evident by the attack on the M/V Maersk Detroit. The attack also confirms that the military capabilities the Houthis built over the last few years with alleged help from Iran are still intact.
