President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced that Sri Lanka will provide a Navy vessel to fight attacks by Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea, joining countries like India in protecting the key waterway for global trade. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched more than 20 attacks on merchant ships in recent weeks, claiming to take revenge against Israel for its military campaign against Palestinian terror group Hamas in Gaza. "So we have agreed to send a Naval vessel to combat Houthi attacks in the Red Sea,” he said. Last month, an Indian-flagged crude oil tanker was among two vessels that came under drone attacks by the Houthi rebels in the Southern Red Sea, according to the US Central Command. The US Central Command said in a statement that on December 23, two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

Source: The Telegraph January 04, 2024 16:57 UTC