The Houthis appear to have struck again in the Red Sea. This time they hit the MV Magic Seas, a Greek-owned, Liberia-flagged bulk carrier that had sailed from China and was northbound en route for the Suez Canal.
It looks as though the attack came in two waves: skiffs armed with RPGs followed by Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) packed with explosives. The ship’s security team repelled the initial attacks and possibly two of the USVs, but two got through, detonated and caused a serious fire. The multinational crew of 22 have abandoned ship and are safe. Videos have emerged of the ship fully ablaze and it is reportedly taking on water.
The Houthis have yet to claim credit for the attack but given how it happened and its proximity to their stronghold in Hodeidah, I’m not sure we need to wait for that.
Israel certainly hasn’t, mounting counter-strikes against Ras Isa, Salif and Hodeidah ports including hitting, and sinking, the MV Galaxy Leader, the ship the Houthis captured in December 2023.
The saga of the Houthi attacks on shipping is now a long one. Since 19 October 2023 they have attacked over 130 ships damaging 44 and sinking two. This has supposedly been a targeted campaign intended to punish Israel and its allies for events in Gaza but in reality the strikes have been largely random, like this latest one. The campaign has led to a 60 per cent reduction in traffic flowing through the Red Sea, rising t
The Houthis appear to have struck again in the Red Sea. This time they hit the MV Magic Seas, a Greek-owned, Liberia-flagged bulk carrier that had sailed from China and was northbound en route for the Suez Canal.
It looks as though the attack came in two waves: skiffs armed with RPGs followed by Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) packed with explosives. The ship’s security team repelled the initial attacks and possibly two of the USVs, but two got through, detonated and caused a serious fire. The multinational crew of 22 have abandoned ship and are safe. Videos have emerged of the ship fully ablaze and it is reportedly taking on water.
The Houthis have yet to claim credit for the attack but given how it happened and its proximity to their stronghold in Hodeidah, I’m not sure we need to wait for that.
Israel certainly hasn’t, mounting counter-strikes against Ras Isa, Salif and Hodeidah ports including hitting, and sinking, the MV Galaxy Leader, the ship the Houthis captured in December 2023.
The saga of the Houthi attacks on shipping is now a long one. Since 19 October 2023 they have attacked over 130 ships damaging 44 and sinking two. This has supposedly been a targeted campaign intended to punish Israel and its allies for events in Gaza but in reality the strikes have been largely random, like this latest one. The campaign has led to a 60 per cent reduction in traffic flowing through the Red Sea, rising t