Representational image of Houthi fighters in Yemen (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: This act of violence against the Indian flagship in the Red Sea has once again brought global focus on the Houthi rebels, who have been at the center of conflicts in the country for a long.
The government of Yemen, which is internationally recognized, has accused the Houthi rebels of committing this act of aggression against the cargo ship called MSV Faize Noore Oliya which was attacked in the vicinity of Yemeni territorial waters and was ultimately sunk.
The Houthis, or Ansar Allah, is a political and militant group of Shia Islamists that formed in northern Yemen in the 1990s. Originally formed as a political faction to represent the interests of the Zaidi Shia sect, the group eventually grew into one of the most powerful factions in the country both militarily and politically.
The group has later rebelled against the Yemeni government with demands for increased political influence and regional autonomy.
The Houthis seized control of the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa in 2014, thus sparking a civil war that is still ongoing. The takeover compelled the internationally recognized government to vacate the capital, culminating in the military intervention of a Saudi-led coalition in 2015.
While some periods of ceasefire have minimized large-scale fighting, the war is yet to be resolved.
According to the Houthis, they belong to the Iranian “Axis of Resistance” together with other organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas. The movement has been known to conduct missile and drone attacks on shipping lanes and infrastructure in the region, thus turning the Red Sea into one of the most delicate maritime routes globally.
The latest attack on the Indian-flagged ship has once again raised fears about maritime security in the region as tensions rise in West Asia.
