Houthi forces in Yemen said on Sunday they had launched rockets and drones at British, U.S., and Israeli ships, the latest in a campaign of attacks on shipping in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war. The Iran-aligned group said it had targeted a British ship and a number of U.S. frigates in the Red Sea, while in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, it had attacked two Israeli vessels heading to Israeli ports. The operations occurred during the last 72 hours, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement. He did not give further details of the attacks. Earlier, British security firm Ambrey said it had received information indicating that a vessel was attacked on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden about 102 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla in Yemen.
On Sunday, U.S. forces said they destroyed a mobile surface-to air missile system in a Houthi-controlled territory of Yemen on April 6. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. forces also shot down one unmanned aerial vehicle over the Red Sea, its statement said, adding that a coalition vessel also detected, engaged and destroyed one inbound anti-ship missile. No injuries or damage were reported. Houthis have launched dozens of air strikes on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Reports revealed that one child dies every 10 minutes from hunger in Yemen, while 89% of internally displaced in Yemen are unable to meet their daily food need and more than 20 million people require humanitarian assistance. The Islamic Relief said that after nine years of conflict, malnutrition rates in Yemen are some of the highest ever recorded, with more than 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid to survive and with a child dying every 10 minutes from hunger. The organization said families in Yemen are facing ongoing armed conflict, displacement, disease and economic decline. Islamic Relief said 17.6 million people in Yemen are facing food insecurity.
The Israeli military's troop reduction in the southern Gaza Strip appears to be a "rest and refit" and not necessarily indicative of any new operations, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said in an ABC News interview on Sunday. "As we understand it, and through their public announcements, it is really just about rest and refit for these troops ... and not necessarily that we can tell indicative of some coming new operation for these troops," Kirby said when asked about the step.
