play videoplay video

Video duration: 16 minutes 09 seconds 16:09

A commercial ship owned by a company in Liberia was subjected to a Houthi attack in the Gulf of Aden, while Reuters quoted the owner of the targeted ship as losing contact with 20 members of the ship’s crew and 3 armed guards.

The ship's owner indicated that it was drifting as a fire continued on board, after a missile hit it 50 nautical miles southwest of Aden, pointing out that the crew of the targeted cargo ship had left.

In this context, military and strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi suggested that the ship was likely targeted by guided cruise missiles (land-sea) with a range exceeding 100 kilometers, or drones.

During his analysis for Al Jazeera, Al-Duwairi ruled out hitting the target ship with ballistic missiles because they are not accurate in hitting moving targets.

He stated that there is no Houthi presence on the strip from Aden to Bab al-Mandab, as their presence is concentrated in the mountainous area, which is between 15 and 25 kilometers from the coast, while the distance between the city center of Aden and Ras Bab al-Mandab (Sheikh Saeed) is estimated at 160 kilometers.

The strategic expert added that the Houthis control the vital mass of Yemen, from the outskirts of Marib to the Red Sea, and from the Saudi border north to the city of Taiz, while they have no presence at sea.

Regarding the ship’s crew leaving with lifeboats, Al-Duwairi revealed that it is on its way to sink within the next few hours and days, explaining that this depends on the hole caused by the injury and the amount of sea water flowing into it.

Al-Duwairi again praised the Houthis' ability to employ their military capabilities to disrupt international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, which was clearly reflected in shipping prices, which were severely affected.

It should be noted that a British cargo ship - carrying combustible fertilizers - sank a few days ago in the Gulf of Aden after the Houthis targeted it with a number of naval missiles on February 18.

Source: Al Jazeera