The Ministry of Defense (Mindef) announced that the Singapore Armed Forces are participating in Operation Prosperity Guardian. The operation is an international maritime security force formed in response to attacks on transport vessels by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
“Operation Prosperity Guardian is not connected to any military offensive against the Houthis,” the ministry said in a statement, The Straits Times reported.
Tensions are rising around the world over Houthi militants’ targeting of commercial ships in the Red Sea amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Iran-backed rebels said the attack was aimed at showing support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The US and UK have already launched airstrikes targeting Houthi strongholds in Yemen.
In December, the Singapore-flagged Danish container ship Maersk Hangzhou was attacked by Houthi missiles in the Red Sea. Two US destroyers responded to the rescue request, and one of the warships shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired at the ship.
That same month, the rebels announced they would target all ships bound for Israel, regardless of nationality, and warned international shipping companies not to enter Israeli ports.
On December 31, US military helicopters made their first direct hit on Houthi forces, sinking three boats and killing fighters who tried to board the boats.
On Tuesday, the United States and Britain shot down 21 missiles and drones in what both countries said was the largest Houthi attack to date directly targeting their warships in the region.
On Friday, both countries launched air and sea strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.
The Houthi rebel movement has come to control much of Yemen over the past decade.
Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen told Parliament on Tuesday that attacks by the Houthi rebels have forced all five of the world’s largest shipping companies to halt shipping through the Red Sea, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. He said that it had been stopped.
He added that the Singapore Armed Forces will deploy a team from the Republic of Singapore Naval Information Fusion Center to assist with information sharing, and a team of planners to work with international partners to develop operational plans.
The Mindef statement said Operation Prosperity Guardian is an ambitious initiative of the 39-nation combined maritime force headquartered in Bahrain.
One of the missions is Joint Task Force 153: Red Sea Maritime Security, which includes more than 20 countries and focuses on efforts to protect ships from security threats through information sharing, maritime patrols, and more.
Approximately 12 percent of the world’s maritime trade passes through the Red Sea.