Published: 11:03, August 15, 2024
US military claims destruction of 2 Houthi vessels in Red Sea
By Xinhua
This picture taken on March 7, 2024 shows the Rubymar cargo ship partly submerged off the coast of Yemen. The bulk carrier went down off Yemen after a Houthi missile attack and poses grave environmental risks as thousands of tonnes of fertiliser threaten to spill into the Red Sea, officials and experts warn. (PHOTO / AFP)

SANAA - The US military forces claimed to have destroyed two Houthi vessels in the Red Sea, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Report: US-led coalition drone strike hits Houthi-controlled island in Red Sea

"Over the last 24 hours, US Central Command successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi vessels in the Red Sea," CENTCOM said on its official X account, citing the imminent and direct threat posed to the coalition forces and commercial shipping in the region.

Responding to the US claim, Abdulrahman Akhanumi, director of the Houthi General Administration of Radio and Television, told Xinhua that "all the propaganda of the United States is baseless, just propaganda."

ALSO READ: US Navy says Yemen's Houthis launched 2 ballistic missiles into Red Sea, no damage

Since November 2023, Houthi militants based in Yemen have been conducting attacks on international shipping near the country's coastline to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

In response, the US-British naval coalition stationed in the waters has conducted regular air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets since January to deter the group but failed to stop the escalation so far.