UK maritime agency reports heightened drone activity off coast of Yemen Houthis attack US ship

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Maritime Trade Coordination Centre at the British Navy has reported increased drone activity off the coast of Yemen.

UKMTO Advisory

SECURITY NOTIFICATIONhttps://t.co/K4BU9BXRPD#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/TJKZPcEa0E

— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) February 21, 2024

"The UKMTO has received reports of heightened activity of unmanned aerial vehicles in 40 nautical miles west of Hodeidah (Yemen). Vessels are advised to report any drone activity to the UKMTO and follow the instructions regarding loitering ammunition," reads a message posted on the centre's page on the social network X, according to Caliber.Az.

A day earlier, the Central Command of the US Armed Forces (CENTCOM) reported on the social network X that Yemeni Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement had fired on an American ship flying the Greek flag, causing minor damage.

Houthis Target Ship Linked to Humanitarian Aid

On February 19, between 12:30 p.m. and 1:50 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at M/V Sea Champion, a Greek-flagged, U.S.-owned bulk carrier bound for the port of Aden in… pic.twitter.com/uOH8FFwo9j

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 21, 2024

"On February 19, between 12:30 p.m. and 1:50 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at M/V Sea Champion, a Greek-flagged, U.S.-owned bulk carrier bound for the port of Aden in Yemen. One of the missiles detonated near the ship causing minor damage. Nevertheless, her crew proceeded on course to their ultimate destination: delivering grain to Aden, Yemen, for the benefit of the Yemeni people," the post says.

On the night of February 21, Yemeni media reported that US and British Air Force aircraft struck two Houthi facilities in the port of Hodeidah.

The US Central Command (Centcom) has not yet commented on this information.

After the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Yemeni Houthi rebel movement Ansar Allah announced that it would launch strikes on Israeli territory and would not allow ships associated with it to pass through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the operation in the Palestinian enclave stops. Since mid-November last year, the Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.