The Yemeni Houthis have struck another target in their ongoing battle in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden waters. The incident, confirmed by the US Central Command (Centcom), occurred between 1:50 and 2:15 PM on March 4, 2024, involving the MSC Sky II container ship as it sailed 90 miles southeast of Aden. The ship was the target of two ballistic missiles fired from Yemeni territory, one of which hit it. Centcom specified that the missile strike caused a fire that was subsequently extinguished by the crew, without compromising the ship's ability to continue autonomous navigation and without causing any crew injuries. On the same day, at 2:15 AM, the Houthis launched a missile that fell into the sea. Later, around 8:00 PM, US military ships shot down two anti-ship missiles aimed at a merchant ship (whose name was not specified) and a US Navy vessel.
The attacks are reportedly continuing underwater, where three cables in the Red Sea used for data transfer were cut. According to initial information, telecommunications (including internet traffic) between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East were disrupted. This forced telecommunications companies to divert almost a quarter of such traffic to alternative routes.