US airstrikes reportedly killed 11 people in Yemen after Houthi rebels launched two missiles in a failed attack against a Singaporean-owned container ship in the Red Sea.
The attack against the 4,944-teu Pinocchio (built 2009) was followed by six US attacks targeting an underwater drone and 18 anti-ship missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, it said.
“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region,” said US Central Command in a statement.
The internationally recognised Yemeni government, opposed to the Houthi regime, said the airstrikes hit port cities and small towns in western Yemen, killing at least 11 people and injuring 14, Reuters reported.
The attack on the Liberian-flagged Pinocchio is the latest of dozens that have targeted shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November.
The Houthi military confirmed the attack against the Pinocchio, which it had claimed was a US ship. Spokesman Yahya Saree said the attacks would be escalated during the month of Ramadan.
The ship is owned by Singapore’s Om-Mar 5 Inc, which is listed by Equasis as care of operator SeaLead Shipping. The Singapore-based company has a fleet of 22 container ships.
“All crew members are accounted for and unharmed and there was no damage to the Pinocchio and her cargo,” the company said in a statement.
“We are grateful to the crew for their courage and adherence to safety protocols during this event. MV Pinocchio has now continued its planned journey.”
The company said none of its vessels passing through the Red Sea are owned by UK, Israeli or US companies and did not serve any Israeli ports.
Safety protocol adherence
The Houthis control large parts of Yemen including the capital, Sanaa, after a decade of grinding internal strife.
The United Nations-recognised government is based in the southern port city of Aden.
The attacks came as a tug operated by a migrant rescue charity left Cyprus towing a barge filled with supplies to Gaza on a new maritime corridor.
The 351-dwt Open Arms (built 1974), operated by a Barcelona-based charity, has been docked since mid-February with food and water on board waiting for the maritime corridor to open, the charity said.
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