An American commercial vessel, the M/V Genco Picardy, was attacked by a suicide drone in the Red Sea, marking the second attack on a U.S.-owned ship by Iranian-backed Houthis in a week.
The ship sustained some damage, but no injuries were reported.
U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) wrote in a statement, “At approximately 8:30 pm (Sanaa time) Jan. 17, an assessed one-way attack [Unmanned Aircraft System] was launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen and struck M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden.”
“M/V Genco Picardy is a Marshall Islands flagged, U.S. owned and operated bulk carrier ship,” continued the statement.
“There were no injuries and some damage reported,” reported USCENTCOM.
“M/V Genco Picardy is seaworthy and continuing underway,” they added.
Earlier, the M/V Gibraltar Eagle was hit by an anti-ship missile, causing a fire.
The U.S. Navy seized a ship last week, intercepting Iranian-made missile components bound for the Houthis in Yemen.
These components were assessed to have been used by the Houthis in attacks on international ships in the Red Sea.
USCENTCOM wrote, “U.S. Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller, supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), executed a complex boarding of the dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components.”
“Seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components. Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea,” they concluded.
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