Houthi militants said they targeted three vessels in the fleets of major names in the container shipping sector, although only one of the purported attacks could be verified.
The group’s armed forces said they took aim at two ships operated by Danish giant AP Moller-Maersk, including one owned by US-listed Costamare. Another strike targeted a vessel in the fleet of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
The militia said it targeted Maersk’s 6,478-teu Maersk Sentosa (built 2007) with missiles while it was in the Arabian Sea.
“The hit was accurate,” the group said in a statement.
The communique described the Maersk Sentosa as an “American ship” — a reference to the Houthis’ pledge to target US-linked vessels. The ship operates in the company’s Maersk Line unit, which controls its US-flag fleet.
Maersk confirmed that the ship was targeted by a “flying object” early on Tuesday morning in the “northernmost part” of the Gulf of Aden, which is just west of the Arabian Sea.
“No injuries to the crew or damage to the ship or cargo were reported,” it said. “The vessel is currently continuing her voyage towards her next port of call.”
The Houthis also said they targeted the “Marthopolis” — an apparent reference to the 4,957-teu Marathopolis (built 2013).
The container ship, which is owned by Greece’s Costamare and operated by Maersk, was targeted with a drone, the group said as it claimed an accurate hit.
When TradeWinds asked about the two Maersk vessels, the company statement made no reference to the Marathopolis. Costamare could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Houthis claimed the ship was targeted because its owner defied the Yemeni militant group’s ban on calling in Israel.
The Royal Navy’s UK Maritime Trade Operations said the master of a merchant vessel sailing 180 nautical miles (333 km) east of Nishtun, Yemen reported an explosion nearby.
Vessel tracking data shows both the Maersk Sentosa and Marathopolis are in the region.
The Iranian-backed Houthis also claimed that drones targeted the MSC Patnaree, which appears to be a reference to MSC’s 2,764-teu MSC Patnaree III (built 2002), while it was in the Gulf of Aden.
“The operation was carried out by the Unmanned Air Force and achieved its goal successfully,” the group said, according to a computer translation.
The Houthis claimed the ship is Israeli, but no known connection to the country is known.
MSC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tracking data shows the ship’s last location at the Somali port of Berbera, in the southern Gulf of Aden, four days ago.
“The operations of the Yemeni armed forces will not stop unless the aggression is stopped and the siege imposed on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted,” the Houthis said, referring to their armed forces as those of Yemen.
