The Yemeni Houthi group said on Sunday its forces had attacked two ships in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
The first ship, Transworld Navigator, had been targeted in the Red Sea using “an uncrewed surface boat” which led to a direct hit against the ship, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said.
The second vessel, Stolt Sequoia, was attacked in the Indian Ocean with a number of cruise missiles, he said.
He said the ships belonged to companies that “violated the ban on entering the ports of occupied Palestine”.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the attack on Sunday and said that the Greek-owned carrier Transworld Navigator was struck by Houthis in a suspected uncrewed aerial system (UAS) attack.
“Today, at 4am (Sanaa time) the crew reported minor injuries and moderate damage to the ship, but the vessel has continued under way,” CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that there were no injuries on US or coalition vessels.
The Transworld Navigator “most recently docked in Malaysia and was en route to Egypt,” CENTCOM said. “This marks the fourth attack by Iranian-backed Houthis on the” vessel.
The Houthis have launched more than 60 attacks targeting specific vessels and fired off other missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two since November.
The most recent sinking was the MV Tutor last week, after it was hit by by a bomb-carrying Houthi drone boat in the Red Sea and an “unknown airborne projectile” on June 12.
In March, the Belize-flagged Rubymar carried a load of fertiliser sank in the Red Sea after taking on water for days following a rebel attack.
A US-led air strike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.
The Houthis have maintained that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Gaza war – including those bound for the Houthis’ main benefactor, Iran.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
