Missile hits vessel west of Yemen's Hodeidah as Houthis threaten wider campaign

A missile fired at a merchant vessel in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebel group did not cause any damage to the ship, said the marine security monitors on Friday (March 15) as the Houthis threaten to expand their campaign that has caused disruptions in the global trade.

The Royal Navy's UK Marine Trade Operations and security firm Ambrey had earlier reported that the vessel was damaged after being struck west of the rebel-held Yemeni port of Hodeida in the early hours of Friday.

However, after a daylight inspection, it turned out that the ship had not been impacted by the projectile attack and had also not sustained any damage.

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Ambrey stated that the "vessel was listed as Israel-affiliated but had changed ownership in February 2024".

It further added that the merchant ship was headed from Singapore to the Suez Canal with armed guards onboard.

The same tanker, the previous day, was almost struck by a missile southeast of Yemen's port of Aden, said Ambrey.

UKMTO said that when the incident was first reported, the ship was 76 nautical miles (140 km) west of the port of Hodeidah, while a second vessel was 50 nautical miles southwest when it reported missiles flying overhead and exploding in the distance.

"The Master reported two missiles flying over the vessel and heard two loud blasts in the distance. The vessel reported no damage and the crew are reported safe. The vessel is proceeding to its next port of call," UKMTO said in an advisory note.

Yemen's Houthi group successfully tests hypersonic missile: Report

Meanwhile, the Iran-aligned Houthi group successfully tested a hypersonic missile, as per a claim made by the group to Russian media on Thursday (Mar 14).

Citing a source, news agency Sputnik reported, "Missile forces of the movement have successfully tested a missile that can reach speeds of up to Mach 8 [6,200 miles per hour] and is powered by solid fuel."

"Yemen plans to begin manufacturing it for use in attacks in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden, as well as against targets in Israel," it added.

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(With inputs from agencies)