Some 18 months into a naval blockade of Yemen, tensions are on the rise off the coast as the Shi’ite Houthis attacked a logistics ships from the United Arab Emirates. The ship was hit with an anti-ship missile, and the Houthis claimed it was “completely destroyed.”
The ship, an Australian built ship leased to the UAE Navy as HSV-2 Swift, came under fire near the Bab al-Mandaab Strait, which spans the narrowest area between Yemen and Africa. The Houthis argue that since the ship was part of the UAE navy, it was a legitimate target in the ongoing Saudi-led war against Yemen.
The UAE, however, is claiming the ship was carrying humanitarian aid, and trying to present the attack as proof that the Houthis are engaged in irresponsible attacks, which the Saudi coalition are already using to justify further escalations of the war.
The ship’s status is still somewhat disputed, as initial reports claimed it had just departed from the city of Aden, the de facto capital of the pro-Saudi south, as part of “routine” transit back and forth from Djibouti. Later, however, when the aid ship claims started growing, they claimed the ship was nearing Aden, and was loaded with medical supplies.
UAE warships have participated in the blockade of Yemen throughout, severely limiting aid shipments, particularly to the Shi’ite north. As Yemen imports materially all of its food, this blockade has caused widespread shortages of pretty much everything.
Why Saudis cannot accept the fact that North Yemen was and is a separate country — and if South goes back to bring independent — that will please everyone. Soudis are obsessed with controllin Shiite north. But it will never suceed. So, keep Saudi government in Aden, while the rest of the South with the capital of Mukalla needs to go back to its historic roots. Then everyone will be happy. We eill just have Saudi Arabia take control of Aden as once Britain did.
Anti-ship missile? I’m skeptical. That’s some hi-tech gear. Where did it come from? How many more of these anti-ship missiles do they have (if indeed the report is accurate and they have any at all)?
Yeah, the whole thing is interesting.
I’m not one of those who thinks that everything on earth is a “false flag,” but this one perks my ears up just a little bit. I suspect in the next 24 hours or so we’ll start hearing that it was an Iranian missile (perhaps a Noor or Zafar). After all these months of claiming that the Houthis are supported by Iran without ever actually coming up with any evidence, I could see them letting a ship go in order to drum something up.
The Houthis managed to capture the Yemeni military’s stock of C802 missiles last year and have allegedly used them before http://www.janes.com/article/55592/yemeni-rebels-claim-third-anti-ship-missile-attack.
AIS tracking shows the Swift heading north through the traffic separation scheme and was just approaching the terminus when the signal was lost around the time of the attack. Previously, the vessel had been in Assab, Eritrea and was possibly heading back there again, although I’d have take a slightly different route.
I seen some evidence that suggests the ship remained afloat the morning after and i believe it s now in Assab. Other reports suggest 62 killed/injured but that is unconfirmed.