Houthis launch several attacks in the Red Sea

The Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked several ships in the Red Sea on Monday, American and British military sources confirmed on Tuesday.

Three smaller Houthi ships, two crewed and the third unmanned, attacked the Panamanian-flagged and Israeli-owned MT Bently I This was announced by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a branch of the British military responsible for coordinating naval communications.

According to reports, fighters on board the two manned ships opened fire on the MT Bently I while the unmanned boat collided directly with the hull, according to UKMTO.

The captain of the MT Bently reported that the ship was subjected to at least three rocket attacks, all of which exploded in the surrounding waters.

Later that same day, a Houthi drone also attacked the MT Chios Lionan oil tanker flying the Liberian flag and owned by the Marshall Islands.

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the UKMTO’s report of the attacks early Tuesday morning and condemned the “continued reckless behavior” of the Houthis in a statement.

“The Houthis claim to act on behalf of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Yet they deliberately attack third-country nationals and threaten their deaths, even though they have nothing to do with the conflict in the Gaza Strip.”

No injuries were reported on any of the attacked ships and all crew on board are safe.