MANILA, Philippines – Napinsala ng drone attack ang isang merchant ship sa Red Sea malapit sa Yemen nitong Linggo, Hunyo 23, ayon sa anunsyo ng maritime security agencies.
Ang pinakabagong pag-atake ay nangyari 65 nautical miles kanluran ng Yemeni port city ng Hodeida, sinabi ng United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
“The Master of a merchant vessel reports being hit by uncrewed aerial system (UAS), resulting in damage to the vessel,” saad sa bulletin ng ahensya.
Ang “vessel is proceeding to its next port of call” at inisyal na napaulat na walang nasawi.
Iniimbestigahan ng mga awtoridad ang insidente.
Ayon naman sa British maritime security firm na Ambrey, ang barko ay “a Liberia-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier.”
“JMIC has investigated and assesses this vessel was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making port calls in Israel,” ayon sa Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC)
Sa kaparehong araw, sinabi ng UKMTO na nakatanggap sila ng distress call mula sa ikalawang barko, na nasa southeastern coast ng Yemen na “suffered flooding that cannot be contained”.
Hindi naman tinukoy ng UKMTO ang sanhi ng insidente.
“This has forced the master and crew to abandon the ship. They have been recovered by an assisting ship,” ayon sa UKMTO sa isang incident report.
Inako naman ng Houthi ang pangyayaring ito at sinabing tinarget ng rebel forces ang dalawang barko. Isa sa Red Sea at isa sa Indian Ocean.
Ayon sa military spokesman ng Houthi na si Yahya Saree, ginamit sa “second targeting operation” laban sa barkong Transworld Navigator ang UAS at “led to a direct hit.”
Ang ikalawang barko ay tinarget naman “with a number of cruise missiles”. RNT/JGC
