DUBAI: An Israeli-owned ship was damaged in a suspected drone attack carried out by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Indian Ocean, said a US defense official on Saturday.
The official stated, “We are aware of reports that there was a suspected IRGC-initiated Shahed-136 UAV that struck a civilian motor vessel in the Indian Ocean.” The attack occurred on Friday, resulting in minor damage to the ship, with no reported injuries.
Maritime security company Ambrey reported that the Malta-flagged, French-operated container ship was damaged when an unmanned aerial vehicle exploded near it. Ambrey suggested that the ship, affiliated with an Israeli-owned company, was likely targeted for this reason. The tracking transmissions of the vessel had stopped shortly after departing from a port in the United Arab Emirates in the days leading up to the attack.
Houthis Targets Israeli Ship in Red Sea
This incident follows the recent seizure of an Israel-linked cargo ship by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the southern Red Sea. In a separate event on Friday, Ambrey reported that the Houthis warned a tanker southwest of Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeida to change course, threatening an imminent attack if instructions were not followed.
The Houthis have launched drone and missile strikes targeting Israel since Israeli forces refused to end its relentless airstrikes and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s Hamas government claims nearly 15,000 casualties in Israeli operations in the Palestinian territory since then, and the Houthi rebels pledged further maritime attacks until Israel ceases its Gaza campaign.
