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On Saturday evening, Sanaa government forces announced the execution of a new attack targeting the “Groton” ship in the Gulf of Aden, confirming that it was successfully struck for the second time in August.
The spokesperson for Sanaa forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, stated in a televised announcement, “In support of the Palestinian people’s struggle, the Yemeni Armed Forces, with God’s help, carried out a military operation targeting the (GROTON) ship in the Gulf of Aden, due to the owning company’s violation of the ban on entering occupied Palestinian ports.”
Brigadier General Saree added, “The operation was carried out by naval forces, drone units, and missile forces, resulting in a precise and direct hit on the ship.” He noted, “This is the second time the ship has been targeted, following an initial strike on August 3rd.”
The spokesperson continued, “The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm their success in preventing Israeli navigation in the Red Sea and enforcing the navigation ban in the declared operational area on all ships connected to the Israeli enemy or those dealing with it, regardless of their destination or the companies they are affiliated with.”
He concluded his statement by saying, “The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm the continuation of their naval operations in their designated operational area and their ongoing support for the steadfast Palestinian resistance in Gaza and the West Bank until the aggression stops and the blockade on the Palestinian people in Gaza is lifted.”
Late Friday night, the British Maritime Trade Operations reported receiving a notification about a commercial ship being attacked by two missiles while sailing 130 nautical miles east of Aden. According to the agency, the first missile landed 50 meters from the bow of the ship, while the second exploded near its stern.
It is worth noting that the *Groton* ship, a 212-meter-long and 30-meter-wide container ship flying the Liberian flag, is operated by “Conbulk”, a Greece-based company.
Earlier this month, Sanaa government forces announced the targeting of the same “Groton” ship in the Gulf of Aden using several ballistic missiles.
At that time, the ship’s owner, “Conbulk”, reported that the vessel had been struck by a missile while sailing 60 nautical miles off the Yemeni coast on its voyage from Dubai to Jeddah, forcing it to reroute towards Djibouti.
The company confirmed that the fire caused by the strike in the cargo holds and on the main deck was extinguished by the ship’s crew. They also stated that a full damage assessment would be conducted, followed by necessary repairs.
In related news, the Joint Maritime Information Center, operated by the U.S. Navy, reported that the ship had been attacked twice due to its association with a company whose vessels had visited Israeli ports.
Images published by the media after the first attack showed visible damage to the ship’s structure.
It is also worth noting that Sanaa government forces announced on August 22nd that they had carried out two military operations targeting ships belonging to companies dealing with the Israeli occupation, the first being the oil tanker “SOUNION” while it was sailing in the Red Sea, and the second being the “Sw North Wind I” ship while it was sailing in the Gulf of Aden.
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عملية عسكرية استهدفت سفينة(GROTON) في خليج عدن وذلك لانتهاك الشركة المالكة لها قرار حظر الدخول إلى موانئ فلسطين المحتلة. 31_08_2024م pic.twitter.com/CvGwCaNsdJ
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) August 31, 2024