Houthi launch attacks on commercial shipping lanes in southern Red Sea: US Central Command

Iranian-backed Houthis launched one-way attacks of anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile from the Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea on Jan. 9 toward international commercial shipping lanes where dozens of merchant ships were transiting, the US Central Command said.

The latest attacks came to light following the recent deployment of the US-led naval coalition forces to deter further maritime attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants.

Many ship operators have diverted their ships from the Red Sea to the Cape of Good Hope in Africa following the recent attacks, adding about two weeks to their voyage time and pushing up freight rates and energy prices.

"On Jan. 9, at approximately 9:15 pm (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs (OWA UAVs), anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea, toward international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting," the US Central Command said in a tweet on X, formerly Twitter.

"Eighteen OWA UAVs, two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile were shot down by a combined effort of F/A-18s from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Mason (DDG 87) and the United Kingdom's HMS Diamond (D34)," the US Central Command said, adding that it was the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since Nov. 19.

UK Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, which monitors maritime security in the region, said in an update that it has also received reports of an incident Jan. 9 about 50 nautical miles West of Al Hudayah, with multiple reports of "Uncrewed Aerial Systems" activity.

The UKMTO said that coalition forces are responding, no injuries or damage reported.

Singapore joins forces

Singapore said Jan. 9 that it will contribute personnel for Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international maritime security force responding to attacks on ships by the Houthis in the Red Sea.

This includes a team from its navy to support information sharing, a team of planners to work with international partners on operational plans and a national representative at the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces' headquarters in Bahrain.

"It is in our interest for Singapore to join cause with the international community to protect and ensure that key sea lines of communication around the world remain open, especially if threatened by unlawful acts by non-state actors or terrorist groups," the country's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in Parliament.

This comes after several armed attacks on merchant ships by the Houthis, including a Singapore-flagged vessel Maersk Hangzhou.

Singapore's defense ministry said that there have been around 20 of such unlawful attacks by the Yemen-based Houthi forces as of Jan. 7, through the firing of missiles and drones as well as hijack attempts.

Prior to the attacks, around 60 ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea daily, but the number has dropped by about a third in recent weeks.

Singapore-registered ships have also been affected, with the number of daily transits through the Red Sea now approximately halved, the ministry added.

Regional steps

Singapore, located along one of the world's busiest waterways, has close to 1,000 ships anchored there at any given time. A ship calls at Singapore port every two-three minutes, bringing the total to around 130,000 ships a year and making it critical for maritime passage in the region to be conflict free.

The annual vessel arrival tonnage in Singapore rose to a record of over 3 billion gross tons in 2023, from 2.83 billion GT a year earlier, according to the latest Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore data.

Since Singapore is a major transshipment port, any delays due to conflict in the Red Sea can affect traffic volumes in East Asia as well, said a shipping broker in Seoul.

India has stepped up vigilance in its waters and will ensure a swift response to avoid any untoward incident, an Indian Navy spokesperson said.

Last week, the Indian Navy had negated a seajacking attempt of a dry bulk carrier, the Lila Norfolk by using Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and safely evacuated 21 crew in the North Arabian Sea.

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy asked local shipping companies and commodities importers Jan. 4 to avoid the Red Sea for the sake of safety.