There has been no let up in the determination of Houthi Rebels to disrupt commercial shipping in the Red Sea region this week, but fortunately the latest attacks have been unsuccessful.
The latest commercial ship to come under fire on Monday was the vessel ‘Pinocchio’, operated by Sealead Shipping. The Liberian flagged 5,000 TEU containership was travelling from the port of Jeddah when it became the target of two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Yemen. Fortunately, the missiles did not hit the vessel, which escaped unscathed and was able to continue its journey.
Directly following the attack, US Central Command launched six strikes into Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen, aimed at neutralising the threat. These strikes led to the destruction of an unmanned underwater vehicle, two drones and 18 anti-ship missiles.
On Tuesday, a US warship also came under attack, when Houthi rebels fired a close-range ballistic missile at the USS Laboon in the Red Sea. Once more the missile missed its target, with no injuries or damage reported.
While the news of these failed attempts come with relief, it does seem to be further evidence that it will be some considerable time before Asia origin containerships can pass safely through the region again.
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