UKMTO Warns Of Another Attack Following Damage To Ship Earlier In Day

The UKMTO has issued an alerton an attack on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden, 50 nautical miles to the south of the Yemeni city of that name. This alert comes hours after anotherin which two ships were fired upon by a Houthi fast boat, with one sustaining a small amount of damage. The continued attacks by Houthi forces on shipping in and around the Red Sea would, at present, indicate the minimal impact that US-led airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen are having on the movement's ability to carry out sustained attacks.

• Houthis have previously stated that the targets of their attacks are ships with links to Israel - due to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza - and to the US and UK - due to their airstrikes against Houthi targets. On 5 Feb Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi's supreme revolutionary committee, warned Italy that its ships would become targets if the country becomes involved in the campaign against Houthi attacks.
• The comments come days after Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed that Italy would provide the commander for the planned joint-EU taskforce that intends to protect shipping in and around the Red Sea from late-Feb onwards.