UPDATE - Houthi rebels report targeting 5 ships in conjunction with Iraqi militia

UPDATES WITH ADDITIONAL INCIDENT REPORTED BY BRITISH MILITARY

By Abdul Salam Fayez

ISTANBUL (AA) - Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced late Saturday that their forces, in coordination with an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, targeted five ships in the northern Israeli port of Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea.

In a statement, the Houthis said: “The Yemeni armed forces carried out two joint military operations in collaboration with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance.”

“The first operation targeted four ships in the port of Haifa, including two cement tankers and two general cargo ships, belonging to companies that violated the ban on entry to the ports of occupied Palestine, using several drones," they said.

“The second operation targeted the Shorthorn Express ship (identity not determined) in the Mediterranean Sea as it was heading to the port of Haifa, using several drones,” the group said, adding that “both operations successfully achieved their objectives, with precise casualties.”

“The Yemeni armed forces will continue joint military operations with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance in support of the Palestinian people until the aggression ceases and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted,” it added.

There was no immediate comment from Israel, the US, or Britain, the countries whose ships the Houthis typically target.

The statement follows the Houthis’ announcement on Saturday that it had targeted the US aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red and Arabian seas with ballistic and cruise missiles, according to a televised statement by Yahya Saree, their military spokesman.

Later, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied the claim of a “successful attack” on the US ship.

-Attack on British vessel

The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority, which operates under the British Navy, on Sunday reported an incident 65 nautical miles off the coast of Hodeidah, western Yemen, resulting in damage to a ship.

In a statement, the authority said that “the Master of a merchant vessel reports being hit by uncrewed aerial system (UAS), resulting in damage to the vessel.”

It said that “all crew members are reported safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.”

“Authorities are investigating,” it added.

The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, where more than 37,500 people have been killed in a deadly Israeli offensive since last October.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi