Yemen's Houthis claim missile attacks on British, Israeli, U.S. ships

SANAA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said in a statement on Sunday that it had carried out five military operations in the past 72 hours, targeting British, Israeli vessels and U.S. warships.

"The operations were carried out with a number of ballistic and winged missiles, and the operations achieved their goals successfully," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in the statement aired by the group's al-Masirah TV.

According to Sarea, the group targeted the British ship HOPE ISLAND in the Red Sea, and two Israeli ships, MSC GRACE F and MSC GINA, adding "the other two operations targeted a number of American military frigates in the Red Sea."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Sunday that its forces "successfully destroyed one mobile surface-to-air missile system in Houthi-controlled territory of Yemen," during approximately 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. local time (0700-1200 GMT), and also "shot down one unmanned aerial vehicle over the Red Sea."

Additionally, at approximately 6:00 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), "a coalition vessel detected and successfully engaged and destroyed one inbound anti-ship missile," CENTCOM said on the social media platform X.

"There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S. coalition, or commercial ships," it said, adding "it was determined that these systems presented a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region."

The Houthis have been targeting ships in the international shipping lane since last November in what they said in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and to press Israel to end its aggression.