Houthis hit US-owned ship after `terror` designation

Yemen's Houthis have targeted a US-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden after Washington said it will re-designate the group as "global terrorists", reports BBC.

The group said they hit the "Genco Picardy" bulk carrier with missiles which resulted in a "direct hit".

The US military says the vessel was hit by a drone on Wednesday evening.

Washington's new designation of the Houthis will require US financial institutions to freeze Houthi funds and its members will be banned from the US.

The Houthi attacks in the Gulf of Aden and neighbouring Red Sea are a response to Israel's military operation in Gaza.

Earlier this month, the UK and US launched air strikes on dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen in an attempt to stop the group from targeting vessels in the waters.

On Wednesday evening, a Houthi spokesperson said the group had successfully targeted the Genco Picardy, and that the attack was a response to "the American-British aggression against our country".

The US military said the ship was hit by a drone launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. It said there was some damage but no injuries, and the vessel remained seaworthy.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the re-designation of the Houthis as "global terrorists" is in response to the Iran-backed group's attacks on commercial shipping in the region.

The move to re-designate the Houthis reverses Secretary of State Antony Blinken's 2021 decision to remove the rebels from the US Specially Designated Global Terrorist List (SDGT).

In a statement, Mr Sullivan said the recent Houthi attacks "fit the textbook definition of terrorism", as they have put US personnel in danger and jeopardized global trade operations.

"If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will immediately re-evaluate this designation," Mr Sullivan added.

In the waning days of the Trump administration officials imposed the SDGT and foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) labels on the Houthis.

This action was taken despite warnings from the UN and aid groups that it could push war-torn Yemen into a large-scale famine.

But in 2021, shortly after President Joe Biden's inauguration, that decision was reversed by Mr Blinken, the newly installed Secretary of State. He cited the dire humanitarian situation faced by the people of Yemen.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday's announcement, senior administration officials defended the decision to reinstate the SDGT designation but not the FTO designation, which they said had been taken to ensure the continued flow of aid into Yemen._Agencies.