STORY: Houthi missile attack damages British ship in Gulf of Aden 
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 19, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 19, 2024
LENGTH: 00:00:38
LOCATION: Sanaa
CATEGORY: MILITARY
   
SHOTLIST:
 1. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): YAHYA SAREA, Military Spokesman for Houthi Group 
   
STORYLINE:

The Houthi group in Yemen said on Monday that they have fired missiles at a British ship in the Gulf of Aden.

"Our naval forces have attacked the British ship, Rubymar, in the Gulf of Aden with a number of missiles," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement aired by his group's satellite TV channel al-Masirah.
   
SOUNDBITE (Arabic): YAHYA SAREA, Military Spokesman for Houthi Group 
"Our naval forces have attacked the British ship, Rubymar, in the Gulf of Aden with a number of missiles. Our attack 'catastrophically' damaged the ship, causing it to stop completely. The ship is now at risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden."

"Our attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will not stop unless (Israeli) aggression on Gaza stops," the Houthi military spokesperson said.
   
He also claimed that his group had shot down a U.S. MQ9 drone off Hodeidah port city, which is under Houthi control, without revealing the exact time.
   
Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in an updated advisory posted on social media X that the crew of the attacked vessel, which it didn't identify, had abandoned the vessel after it was damaged by the missile attack, adding that "military authorities" rushed to the scene to assist.
   
The British maritime agency said the attack on the vessel occurred on Sunday 35 nautical miles south of al-Mukha, which is located to the south of Houthi-controlled Hodeidah port city.
   
Ambrey, another British maritime security agency, confirmed that the attacked vessel is a British-registered cargo bulk vessel.
   
The U.S. Central Command said on Sunday it had conducted defensive strikes against five Houthi targets in the Red Sea on Saturday, including mobile missiles and underwater drones ready to be launched. It said it was the first time it had observed the Houthis possessing such drones, which posed a threat to shipping and regional stability.
   
The U.S.-led coalition has conducted dozens of airstrikes against Houthi targets in northern Yemen since January, saying the strikes aimed to degrade Houthi military capabilities.
   
However, the Houthis have said the U.S. military airstrikes have no impact and responded by launching more drone and missile attacks against the U.S. and British navy ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Sanaa. 
(XHTV)