SANAA, Jan 18 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s Houthi group, yesterday, claimed responsibility for launching a missile attack on a U.S. ship, in the Gulf of Aden.
“In support of Palestinian people and response to the U.S. and British aggression against our country, our naval forces carried out an attack, targeting the U.S. ship ‘Ginko Picardie’ in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of missiles, and the strike was accurate and direct,” Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement, aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
“Our forces will not hesitate to target all sources of threat in the Arab Sea and the Red Sea, within our legitimate right to defend Yemen, and to continue supporting the oppressed Palestinian people,” the spokesman stressed, adding that, any new assault from the United States and Britain “will not go without response and punishment.”
“We target only Israeli vessels, or those heading to Israeli ports. Our military operations will continue until Israel ends its attacks and siege on the Gaza Strip,” Sarea said.
This statement came, after the U.S. re-designated, yesterday, the Houthi group as a terrorist organisation, which will officially take effect in 30 days.
U.S. National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in a statement that, the designation was in response to the Houthis’ continued threats to and attacks on the “United States military forces and international maritime vessels, operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” adding that, the decision would be reversed, if the Houthis cease their attacks.
In Jan, 2021, the Houthi group was designated a terrorist group, as the U.S. administration of the then-President Donald Trump, rolled out a slew of its last foreign policies. The designation was revoked by the Joe Biden administration in Feb, 2021.
The faction immediately responded to the new U.S. sanction, saying, the re-designation came for political purposes and would not deter the Houthi operations.
The Houthis have escalated their attacks in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7, last year, demanding an end to Israeli attacks and siege on Gaza.
The Houthis have controlled much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, since ousting the internationally recognised Yemeni government in 2014.– NNN-SABA
