SANAA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group on Wednesday said it has launched missile and drone attacks against three ships transiting the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, the group's military spokesman said in a statement.
The group conducted two operations in the Red Sea, targeting the ROZA ship and the VANTAGE DREAM ship with a number of missiles and drones, Yahya Sarea said in the statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
"The two companies have violated the (Houthis') decision that banned entry of ships to the ports of occupied Palestine (Israel)," he said.
"The third operation targeted the American ship, MAERSK SELETAR with a number of drones in the eastern part of the Arabian Sea," he added.
We will "continue to carry out military operations in support of Palestinian people until the (Israeli) aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted," the Houthi military spokesman added.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X that the Houthi group launched two ballistic missiles into the Red Sea. "There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships," it said.
Since November last year, the Houthi group began to launch anti-ship ballistic missiles and drones targeting what they said were Israeli-linked ships transiting the Red Sea, to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In response, the U.S.-British naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted regular air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets to deter the group, but only led to an expansion of Houthi attacks to include U.S. and British commercial vessels and naval ships. ■
