ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni government-aligned naval forces said Thursday they had destroyed two manned boats operated by the Houthi group in separate confrontations in the Red Sea off Yemen's western coast, as maritime tensions continue to intensify in the area.
In a statement, the military media of the pro-government National Resistance Forces said naval and coast guard units had confronted Houthi boats attempting to enter waters under their control off Yemen's western coast overnight.
In one encounter, the forces engaged three Houthi boats in the Red Sea, destroying and sinking one with all those aboard, while the other two withdrew toward international waters, according to the statement.
In a separate incident, the forces detected another boat carrying equipment used to launch drones, the statement said. After tracking the vessel, government forces struck it with a guided missile, destroying the boat and killing those aboard.
Yemen's state-run news agency Saba, citing a naval source, later reported that five Houthi members were killed when one of the boats was struck and destroyed.
The Houthis have yet to comment on the reported incidents.
The latest confrontations came amid heightened military activity in and around the Red Sea, a vital corridor for international trade and energy shipments.
The recent escalation has coincided with a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks on government-held areas in Yemen, including Mocha and the oil-rich province of Marib, as well as attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.
Saudi Arabia led a military coalition that intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen. Large-scale fighting and cross-border attacks had largely subsided following a UN-brokered truce in 2022, but recent exchanges have raised concerns over a broader return to conflict. ■
