A cargo ship reportedly is in jeopardy in the Gulf of Aden following an attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The vessel, identified by Reuters as the British-registered, Lebanese-operated Rubymar, reported sustaining damage Sunday after "an explosion in close proximity to the vessel," the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported.
"We know she was taking in water," the Rubymar’s maritime security company LSS-SAPU told Reuters, adding that two missiles were fired at the ship and its crew managed to evacuate safely.
"There is nobody on board now," LSS-SAPU reportedly added. "The owners and managers are considering options for towage."
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Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree later issued a statement claiming the rebel group’s responsibility for the attack, saying the vessel was "now at risk of potentially sinking."
"The ship suffered catastrophic damages and came to a complete halt," Saree said.
The Houthis also claimed to have downed an American drone Monday in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, according to Reuters. U.S. Central Command, which operates in the region, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The Houthis last November took out a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone near the Yemeni coast.
On Monday, the UKMTO and the private security firm Ambrey said a second vessel came under attack in the Gulf of Aden. Ambrey described the vessel as a Greek-flagged, U.S.-owned bulk carrier bound for Aden, Yemen, and carrying grain from Argentina. The same ship then came under attack again later in the day according to The Associated Press.
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The reported attacks come after the U.S. launched five "self-defense" airstrikes against a series of Houthi rebel positions in Yemen on Saturday.
The strikes targeted three anti-ship missile batteries, one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV) and another unmanned surface vessel (USV), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Sunday.
"This is the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV since attacks began on Oct. 23," CENTCOM said in a statement.
"CENTCOM identified the anti-ship cruise missiles, unmanned underwater vessel, and the unmanned surface vessel in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region. These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels," the statement added.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
