US military destroys Houthi rebel patrol boats

2024-06-14 09:26:09, Kosova & Bota CNA

The US military said late Thursday that it had destroyed two patrol vessels, an unmanned vessel and a drone belonging to Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in an effort to cripple the Iran-backed group's capabilities.

The Houthi movement, which controls the most populated parts of Yemen, attacked the cargo ship Verbena in the Arabian Sea, as well as the Seaguardian and Athina ships in the Red Sea, the Iran-backed group's spokesman Yahya Saree said on Thursday.

The attack on the Verbena caused a fire and seriously injured one of its crew members, US Central Command said.

Rebels fired two ballistic missiles at ships in the Red Sea from a Houthi-held area in Yemen, the Central Command said, adding that there were no damage or injuries from the attack.

Houthi rebels have been carrying out attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen since November last year. They say they are carrying out these attacks as a sign of support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who are facing an eight-month war with Israel.

US Central Command said that "we will continue to work with our partners to hold the Houthis accountable and weaken their military capabilities."

Attacks by the Iran-backed group are disrupting global trade, forcing companies to take longer and more expensive routes around southern Africa.

The United States and Great Britain have carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in response to the group's attacks on merchant ships.

Attacks by Houthi rebels have also raised concerns that the war in Gaza, which began on October 7, could spread and roil the entire Middle East region.

The war in Gaza began on October 7, after Hamas - the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union - attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 others.

As a result of Israel's air, land and sea offensive in Gaza, so far more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 80,000 injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. This institution does not distinguish between killed civilians and Hamas fighters.

Israel has said that it will not stop the war in Gaza until it achieves its two goals: the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages./ REL