Yemen’s Houthis target two Israeli ships in Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi movement targeted two Israeli ships with an armed drone and a naval missile, a spokesperson for the group’s military says.

The two ships, Unity Explorer and Number Nine, were attacked after they rejected warnings from the the Houthis’ navy, he said.

The Pentagon said earlier that one of its warships responded to a distress call in the Red Sea. The attack potentially marked a major escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

An unnamed US official told The Associated Press the attack began at about 10am in Sanaa, Yemen (07:00 GMT), and lasted about five hours. Another American official speaking anonymously said the USS Carney intercepted at least one drone.

Houthis say Israeli ships ignored warnings

Yahya Saree, spokesman of the Yemeni Armed Forces, says the targeted ships in the Red Sea “refused to heed the warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces”.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea until the Israeli aggression against our brothers in the Gaza Strip comes to a halt,” he said.

Houthi forces have previously said “Israeli ships or those affiliated with Israel” are legitimate targets.