HOUTHI forces in Yemen have claimed to have widened their area of operations, saying they had targeted three merchant ships as well as US frigates, including one attack in the Indian Ocean, reports Singapore's Splash 247.
But security consultants have not confirmed the attacks and there is a history of the Houthis overstating the success of their naval attacks in the six months that they have been conducting strikes on merchant shipping in support of Hamas in Gaza.
The Houthis claimed to have launched missiles against Borealis Maritime's 3,534-TEU Hope Island, as well as Mediterranean Shipping Company's 4,056-TEU MSC Gina and the 24,300-dwt multipurpose MSC Grace F.
The ships were in three separate locations - the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, a significant ramp-up in terms of the geographic spread of attacks.
"The element to note is the claim to have attacked vessels in the Arabian Sea which is essentially the northern end of the Indian Ocean, as well as in the Indian Ocean," pointed out Lars Jensen, the CEO of Vespucci Maritime, who has been providing a daily update on the Red Sea crisis.
"If this is true, it would constitute an expansion of the risk area to now also include the approach routes to the major container hubs on the south coast of Oman as well as approach routes towards the Strait of Hormuz," Mr Jensen said.