NEW YORK, February 22. /TASS/. The British ship that was attacked by the Houthi rebels on February 22 received minor damage, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
"Between 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from southern Yemen into the Gulf of Aden. The missiles impacted MV Islander a Palau-flagged, U.K.-owned, cargo carrier causing one minor injury and damage. The ship is continuing its voyage," it wrote on its X page.
Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis warned that they would launch strikes on Israeli territory while barring ships associated with the Jewish state from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until Tel Aviv ceased its military operation against Palestinian radical group Hamas in the embattled enclave. Since mid-November, dozens of civilian ships have been attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In response to Ansar Allah's actions, the US authorities announced the creation of an international coalition and preparations for an operation codenamed Prosperity Guardian, expected to ensure freedom of navigation and protection of ships in the Red Sea.