Yemeni armed forces launch operation against Israeli-bound ship in Gulf of Aden

Brigadier General Yahya Saree made the remarks in a statement on Saturday, a day after two missiles targeted a Liberian-flagged container ship transiting the Gulf of Aden.

“We carried out a military operation targeting the 'Groton' ship in the Gulf of Aden because the company that owns it violated Yemen's decision to ban entry to the ports of occupied Palestine,” he said.

Saree went on to say that the operation involved many missiles and drones, adding that the hit was accurate.

The spokesperson further emphasized that the naval operations of the Yemeni armed forces will continue in support of Palestinians in Gaza as well as until the Israeli aggression stops and the blockade on the besieged enclave is completely lifted.

On Friday, two missiles suspected to have been fired by Yemen's armed forces targeted the “Groton” ship.

Britain's maritime safety agency, UKMTO, said the attack saw two missiles “exploding in close proximity to the vessel” some 240 kilometers east of the Gulf of Aden.

The ship “reports all crew are safe and proceeding to next port of call,” the UKMTO said, adding that “Investigations are ongoing.”

The Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) later identified the vessel targeted as the Liberian-flagged container ship Groton, adding that one of the missiles had caused minor damage.

The ship “was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making recent port calls in Israel,” the center said.

This was the second time the “Groton” ship was targeted by Yemeni armed forces. Back in August, the naval and missile forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a joint military operation in which they targeted the “Groton” ship in the Gulf of Aden with many ballistic missiles.