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Dubai:
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said on Monday they attacked two tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, after a British security agency reported several attacks in the troubled waterway.
In a statement on social media platform
The BENTLEY I was attacked with “drone boats, unmanned aerial vehicles and ballistic missiles,” while the CHIOS LION was targeted by unmanned surface vessels, Saree said.
They were targeted because their owners used Israeli ports, according to the rebel spokesman.
On Monday morning, UK Maritime Trade Operations reported two separate incidents in the Red Sea.
A ship sailing southwest of the port city of Hodeidah was attacked by three small vessels, two of which had three people on them each, the UKMTO said.
The third boat was unmanned, according to the agency, which is run by the British Royal Navy.
The “small unmanned vessel collided twice with the vessel and the two small manned vessels fired at the vessel,” the UKMTO said.
“After 15 minutes, the small vessel aborted the attack. The vessel and crew are safe and the vessel is proceeding to the next port of call.”
The same ship later reported four missiles exploding “in close proximity”, the UKMTO said, adding that the strikes caused no injuries or damage.
British maritime security firm Ambrey also reported the attack, saying the merchant ship had a private armed security team on board.
In a separate incident on Monday, an unmanned surface vessel “struck” a merchant vessel 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, the UKMTO said.
The attack caused “some damage and light smoke,” it said, adding that “the ship and crew are safe and proceeding to the next port of call.”
The Houthi drone and missile attacks came despite the deployment of Western naval forces to protect ships in the Red Sea, a vital waterway for global trade.
Since January, the United States and Britain have carried out repeated retaliatory strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
On Sunday, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed several Houthi drones.
“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure,” it said in a post on social media platform X.
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