Yemen's Rebels Attack US Ship 'Pinocchio' in Red Sea and 11 Deaths and 14 Injuries in US-UK Air Strikes

Defense News ,Red Sea :-  Yemen's rebel group, the Houthi rebels, attacked a United States ship named 'Pinocchio' with missiles in the Red Sea. The attack was announced by the group's military spokesperson in a televised speech on Tuesday (Mar 12).

The 'Pinocchio' is a container ship carrying the Liberian flag and is owned by the Singapore-registered company Om-Mar 5 Inc, according to public databases operated by Equasis and the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, stated that the group would intensify military operations during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians. Sarea reported, "The Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the American ship 'Pinocchio' in the Red Sea with naval missiles, and the hit was accurate."

He added, "The Yemeni Armed Forces will continue preventing Israeli navigation in the Red and Arab Seas until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted."

Sarea emphasized that military operations would escalate during Ramadan, the month of jihad, in support of the Palestinian people and their mujahideen brothers in the Gaza Strip.

In a separate development, a US-British coalition conducted airstrikes in western Yemen on Monday (Mar 11), resulting in at least 11 deaths and 14 injuries while defending commercial shipping. The internationally recognized government of Yemen confirmed the airstrikes on port cities and small towns.

Reports indicate that 17 airstrikes were carried out across the country, including the principal port city of Hodeidah and Ras Issa Port. These airstrikes occurred shortly after the first civilian casualties and vessel loss following the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping that began in November, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians during the Gaza war.