Houthis Attack Cargo Ship in Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea near the port city of Hodeidah on Sunday, according to reports from multiple sources. The British military stated that the vessel, approximately 30 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, came under fire from an unknown armed skiff. Security guards on board returned fire, and the assailants retreated to a larger ship with its identification system turned off.

The cargo ship and crew were reported safe, and authorities are investigating the incident. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The Houthis have previously threatened to resume attacks on ships passing through territory they control near the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. These threats led shipping companies to reroute vessels around the southern tip of Africa instead of using the Suez Canal during the Gaza war.

In a separate incident, the Houthis killed 16 government troops in an attack on government-aligned forces, marking some of the most violent fighting between the sides in years. The attack occurred south of Hodeidah, with hospitals in the area receiving 16 dead and 22 wounded pro-government forces, according to medical officials. An officer with the government-aligned forces described it as the "deadliest Houthi attack in years."

The fighting began late on Friday and continued until a counterattack by government-aligned forces concluded at dawn on Saturday. The Houthis briefly took control of pro-government positions before being repelled. The rebels used snipers, drones, and mortar salvos in the clashes. Another military official reported casualties among Houthi ranks but did not provide specific numbers.

The Houthis have been at war with Yemen's government since 2015, a conflict that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and a major humanitarian crisis. The rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and Hodeidah on the western Red Sea coast, while the internationally recognized government holds large parts of the south.

Fighting between the two sides has largely been frozen since a UN-negotiated truce in 2022. However, tensions have risen recently as the Houthis threatened airports and vital assets belonging to Saudi Arabia, a key backer of Yemen's Aden-based government. The rebel group accused Saudi Arabia of trying to stop an Iranian plane from landing at Sanaa International Airport.

The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to end nearly four months of war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, setting up 60 days of negotiations for a permanent peace deal. Oil shipments have increased since then, with Saudi Arabia shipping about 34 million barrels of oil through Hormuz since June 17.