CAIRO (Reuters) – Yemen's Houthis said on Sunday they attacked two civilian ships along with a U.S. destroyer in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea in their latest effort to disrupt shipping in what they say is support for Palestinians in Gaza.
The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in a statement that the armed group fired ballistic missiles at the American destroyer, naval missiles at the Captain Paris ship, and drones at a ship called the Happy Condor. It was not clear whether any of the targets were hit.
Early on Sunday, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a ship 40 nautical miles south of the Yemeni city of Mokha reported two explosions nearby. She added that the ship and its crew are fine and are continuing their journey, without specifying the identity of the ship.
The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital and most populated areas, have launched dozens of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November in solidarity with the Palestinians.
The attacks have upended global trade by forcing shipowners to reroute ships away from the Suez Canal, and have sparked US and British retaliatory strikes since February.