Yemeni Houthis claim responsibility for attacks on two ships in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean

The Yemeni Houthi group said on Sunday that its forces had attacked two ships in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

The first ship, the Transworld Navigator, was attacked in the Red Sea by an “unmanned surface boat”, resulting in a direct hit, said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.

The second ship, Stolt Sequoia, was attacked with several cruise missiles in the Indian Ocean, he said.

He said the ships belonged to companies that had “violated the ban on entering the ports of occupied Palestine.”

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the attack on Sunday and said the Greek aircraft carrier Transworld Navigator was attacked by the Houthi rebels, probably with an unmanned aerial vehicle.

“As of 4 a.m. today (Sanaa time), the crew reported minor injuries and moderate damage to the vessel, however the vessel is still underway,” CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that there were no injuries on the U.S. or coalition ships.

The Transworld Navigator “last docked in Malaysia and was en route to Egypt,” CENTCOM said. “This is the fourth attack on the ship by the Iran-backed Houthis.”

The Houthis have carried out more than 60 attacks on specific vessels and fired more missiles and drones as part of their campaign, which has killed four sailors in total. They have hijacked one ship and sunk two since November.

In March, the Belize-flagged ship Rubymar, carrying a cargo of fertilizer, sank in the Red Sea after taking on water for days following a rebel attack.

The Houthis have been the target of a US-led airstrike campaign since January. In a series of attacks on May 30, at least 16 people were killed and 42 others injured, according to the rebels.

The Houthis claim their attacks are against ships linked to Israel, the US or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the war between Israel and Gaza – including those bound for Iran, the Houthis’ biggest backer.

Additional reporting by Associated Press