Houthi group claims it targeted British oil ship in Red Sea

SANAA, Yemen

Yemeni Houthis said on Saturday that they had targeted a British oil ship in the Red Sea with several missiles.

“Yemeni naval forces targeted a British oil ship (POLLUX) in the Red Sea with a large number of suitable naval missiles,” the group's spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement.

“The hit was precise and direct,” he added.

The spokesman stressed that “military operations in the Red and Arabian Seas against Israeli shipping or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine will continue until the aggression against Palestinian people stops and the siege is lifted."

There was no comment from the British side on the Houthi statement.

Yemeni Houthis have targeted vessels in the Red Sea, in particular ones that are bound for Israel.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, prompting the US and Britain to launch retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen.

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

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi