Cairo, September 30 – Sputnik. The mission explained via the “X” platform that the crew of 19 individuals of Russian, Ukrainian, Filipino, and Sri Lankan nationalities were all rescued, including one individual in stable condition and another who was transferred to Djibouti for treatment after sustaining serious injuries. It confirmed that 18 crew members settled aboard European naval units, while its medical teams treated minor injuries, and a critical case was transported to Djibouti to ensure urgent care. The mission emphasized ensuring the freedom of international navigation within its operational scope.
This development comes a day after the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority announced that a commercial vessel was attacked by an unknown projectile 128 nautical miles southeast of Aden, causing a fire while it was sailing in the Gulf of Aden.
Despite the severity of the incident, there was no official comment from the “Ansar Allah” group, which had previously announced in July the start of the fourth phase of the “naval blockade on Israel,” vowing to target ships linked to it or companies dealing with its ports regardless of their nationalities.
In late July, “Ansar Allah” leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi revealed that his forces launched 1,679 missiles, drones, and warships at Israel and ships linked to it, America, and Britain since November 2023. Since Tel Aviv resumed its military operations in the Gaza Strip on March 18, “Ansar Allah” in Yemen intensified its attacks on Israel and ships linked to it, the United States, and Britain. This prompted U.S. forces to carry out hundreds of airstrikes on the group’s sites in Yemen before the group and Washington reached a ceasefire agreement on May 6, but “Ansar Allah” confirmed that the agreement does not include operations against Israel.
The “Ansar Allah” group has controlled most of the provinces in central and northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, since September 2014, while an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched military operations on March 26, 2015, in support of the Yemeni army to regain those areas from the group’s grip.
