Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels announced Tuesday that they had launched a coordinated assault on a vessel in the northern Red Sea, deploying two drones and a missile.
The group said the ship was targeted due to its alleged ties to Israel.
“The Yemeni armed forces carried out a joint military operation targeting the ship ... for violating the (Houthi) decision to ban entry to the ports of occupied Palestine,” stated a spokesperson for the group, according to Reuters.
No details were provided regarding the timing of the attack, and maritime sources have yet to confirm the incident.
Tuesday’s announcement comes two days after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile strike on the Israeli-owned chemical tanker Scarlet Ray near the Saudi port city of Yanbu.
Last Thursday, Israel struck a conference hall in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, where a meeting of the Houthi government ministers was taking place. The senior officials were gathered to watch a speech by the Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.
On Saturday, the Houthis announced that their leader, Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, was eliminated along with a list of other senior officials in the Israeli strike.
According to the reports, among the Houthi officials killed were the Foreign Minister, Justice Minister, Welfare and Labor Minister, Youth and Sports Minister, government secretary, Deputy Interior Minister, and two of al-Rahawi's aides.
Reports indicate that just four Houthi government ministers remain alive following the Israeli strike.