Drone vessels packed with explosives are reportedly being used to target commercial tankers in the Red Sea.
A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen claims there has recently been such an attempt on a tanker.
“Houthi-Iranian militias are using the Hodeidah port not only for smuggling advanced weaponry, but also as a launch pad for attacks on international ships,” said a coalition spokesman.
“In a blatant violation of international law, the Iranian-Houthi militia on 6 January 2018 attempted an attack by three remote-controlled drone boats, targeting a Saudi oil tanker and threatening to disrupt navigation in Bab Al Mandeb strait.”
He said coalition forces had destroyed the drones before they reached the unnamed tanker. There has been no independent confirmation of the spokesman’s claim.
UK-based security consultancy Gray Page say this is not the first time Houthi rebels have been accused of targeting shipping using vessels laden with explosives.
“In January, 2017, a Saudi frigate was attacked, killing two sailors. Although details of the incident have been disputed, later analysis suggested the attack was carried out by an unmanned drone vessel,” said Gray Page.
Meanwhile Houthi rebels, who are said to have the backing of Iran, are said to have recently issued an explicit threat to shipping.
“A senior Houthi leader, quoted by a Houthi controlled news agency, said Houthi forces would block traffic in the Red Sea if Saudi-led coalition forces continued their advance on the rebel-held Yemeni port of Hodeidah,” Gray Page says.
“There have been repeated warnings that the coastal defence missiles, radar systems and mines deployed by the rebels pose a threat to shipping.”
Gray Page says all ships sailing through the High Risk Area (HRA) that includes parts of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, should register their intentions with the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA).
The US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) announced in September 2017 that it was setting up a Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC) in the Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea regions.
Gray Page said the purpose was to provide a “recommended merchant traffic route” around which naval forces could focus their surveillance efforts.
