The Ansarullah Houthi took credit for another ship attack yesterday. “The Yemeni Armed Forces explained in a statement issued on Tuesday [Dec. 26] that the naval forces carried out an operation to target a commercial ship, ‘MSC United,’ with appropriate naval missiles, after the ship’s crew rejected, for the third time, the calls of the naval forces, as well as repeated fiery warning messages,” Yemen’s Saba news outlet reported.
The targeting of MSC United (actually MSC United VIII operated by MSC Mediterranean Shipping) apparently occurred as the U.S. Navy was engaged in a running battle with Houthi drones and missiles. “U.S. assets, to include the USS Laboon (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis over a 10-hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. [03:30 GMT] on Dec. 26,” U.S. Central Command reported. “There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries.”
