ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government said Sunday that its forces had destroyed a remotely operated Houthi explosive boat before it could attack ships in the Red Sea.
The state-run Saba TV channel said that the armed forces intercepted and destroyed the boat before it reached its intended targets, without disclosing further details of the operation.
The Houthis have yet to comment on the incident.
Earlier Sunday, Yemeni government forces said they had intercepted a shipment in the Red Sea carrying "Iranian-made drone components" allegedly destined for the Houthis.
Fighting between government forces and the Houthis has intensified across several fronts in recent weeks. The government forces stepped up drone and artillery strikes on Houthi positions, while the group launched missile and drone attacks on government-held areas in Marib and along the western Red Sea coast.
The escalation has also extended beyond Yemen's battlefields. Since announcing a ban on Saudi-linked maritime traffic on July 20, the Houthis have claimed a series of attacks on Saudi-linked vessels and targets inside the kingdom.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. ■
