SANAA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said on Monday it had launched a missile attack on a U.S. military ship in the Gulf of Aden, the latest in a series of strikes on shipping in the region.
The Houthis, controlling much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, said they had targeted the USS Lewis B. Puller, an expeditionary mobile base vessel.
"One of the ship's missions is to provide logistical support to the American forces involved in aggression against our country," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement.
He said the Houthis would continue to attack Israeli ships or those heading to Israel until Israel ended its blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The U.S. military has not commented on this.
The Houthis have increased their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. They claim to target vessels associated with Israel and have subsequently expanded their attacks to include U.S. and British ships.
On Friday, the Houthis said they had fired a missile strike on the British oil tanker "Marlin Luanda" in the Gulf of Aden, causing a huge fire on board. The fire was extinguished with the help of U.S., British, and Indian navy warships, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
The United States and Britain have carried out several retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi positions in recent weeks aimed at preventing further attacks on shipping and protecting global trade.
Earlier this month, the United States re-designated the Houthi group as a "global terrorist organization," and said the designation would take effect next month. ■
