Houthi rebels strike American-owned and operated container ship, U.S. military says

The M/V Gibraltar Eagle was able to keep moving and did not immediately report any injuries or significant damage, according to a statement on social media by U.S. Central Command. The Iran-backed militants late on Monday afternoon fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from territory they control in Yemen at the vessel, according to the statement. Later in the day, Houthi spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree took credit for the hit, declaring it a “precise and direct hit.” The M/V Gibraltar Eagle sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands. About two hours earlier in the day, U.S. Forces had detected another anti-ship ballistic missile fired toward a commercial shipping lane in the southern Red Sea, but the missile “failed in flight,” landing in Yemen without any injuries or damage reported, according to Central Command.

Didn’t American troops strike the Houthis last week? U.S. forces last struck Houthi militants in Yemen on Jan. 13. That strike was a follow-up to earlier attacks by U.S. and British forces. Earlier this month, the United States issued a joint statement with 13 other countries warning the rebels to cease their attacks or “bear the responsibilities of the consequences” of their actions. Days later, on Jan. 9, the Houthis launched 21 different munitions in a barrage on shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine about Hamas’ mass murder gambit.