Ship hit in suspected Houthi attack as Israeli port city also targeted

A suspected missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels has set a ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden as Israel intercepted what appeared to be another Houthi attack near the port city of Eilat, authorities said.

Yesterday’s attack in the Gulf of Aden followed an earlier incident when Israeli forces destroyed what they claimed was a balistic missile near the Red Sea port of Eilat.

Two missiles were fired at the ship, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. It said the unnamed ship was ablaze, without elaborating.

Ship-tracking data identified the vessel as a Palauflagged cargo ship named Islander.

It had been coming from Thailand bound for Egypt and previously sent out messages saying "Syrian crew on board" to potentially avoid being targeted by the Houthis.

It came after, sirens sounded early yesterday in Eilat, followed by videos posted online of what appeared to be an interception in the sky overhead.

Israeli military later said the interception was carried out by its Arrow missile defence system. Israel did not identify what the fire was, nor where it came from. However, the Arrow system intercepts longrange ballistic missiles with a warhead designed to destroy targets while they are in space.

The system "successfully intercepted a launch which was identified in the area of the Red Sea and was en route to Israel", the Israeli military said.

"The target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians."

The Houthis did not immediately claim either attack. They typically acknowledge assaults they conduct hours afterward.

Eilat, on the Red Sea, is a key port city of Israel.

On October 31, Houthis first claimed a missile-and-drone barrage targeting the city. The rebels have claimed other attacks targeting Eilat which caused no damage in the city.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the red sea and surrounding waters over Israel's war against Hamas.

They have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, threatening shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe.