[News] Naval or aerial drones, missiles, armed boats, the Houthis are diversifying their means of attack in the Red Sea
(B2) Although no serious incident has been noted, Houthi attacks continue to be all-out, mainly with surface naval drones which are becoming their preferred mode of attack. Cheaper than a missile, more difficult to intercept.
Triple combined sea-air-land attack
On Monday (July 15), a merchant ship, the Bentley I, is the subject of a combined attack. First of all, he is pursued by three small ships, blue and white in color, reports the British maritime center UKMTO. Two ships are armed with three people on board, the third is a surface drone. It hit the ship twice. Without doing any damage. Two men fire. The ship managed to escape its pursuers who gave up the chase after fifteen minutes. Shortly after, a missile exploded near the ship, then two other missiles 45 minutes later. Without damage nor injured on board.
A tanker reached
The same day, an oil tanker flying the Liberian flag, the Chios Lion, is struck by a surface drone, launched by the Houthis. No injuries but some light damage. But shortly after, satellites observed the start of an oil spill.
Combined sea-air attack
On Saturday (July 20), a merchant ship was simultaneously targeted by an aerial drone which exploded near the ship as well as a surface naval drone, which struck the ship but did not explode, in the Red Sea, 64 nautical miles to the northwest from the Yemeni port Al Mukha. Minor damage and no injuries.
For lack of anything better, escorts by the ships of Aspides
The French destroyer presented in the area assured “ and successfully » the close protection of an oil tanker, the Semeru flying the Maltese flag, in the “zone of operation” (facing Houthi attacks), reported the HQ of the European maritime operation Aspides, Thursday (July 18). Another escort, this time from a container ship, took place a week later, on Friday (July 26).
The action of American forces
American forces continue their action either by targeting launchers in Yemen or by intercepting devices in the Red Sea. They destroyed an aerial drone over the Red Sea on Saturday (July 20), four surface drones and an aerial drone on Sunday (July 21) and three surface drones were shot down off the coast of Yemen on Friday (July 26), says US Central Command (CentCom).
NB: offensive actions at a regular pace, but which do not succeed in lastingly reducing the desire for action of the Houthis who certainly use fewer missiles than at the start of their action in the first months of 2024, but are now using more to naval means.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
