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Houthi leader says group attacked more than 160 ships in Red, Arabian Seas so far

According to the report, six ships came under attack over the past week alone, with weapons including ballistic and cruise missiles, drones and speed boats

DUBAI, July 4. /TASS/. Yemen’s Houthis have attacked a total of 162 ships in the Red and Arabian Seas since November last year, said Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the group’s leader.

In remarks on Houthi-run Al Masirah television, he said that six ships came under attack over the past week alone, with weapons including ballistic and cruise missiles, drones and speed boats.

Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the group said they would strike Israeli territory and prevent ships affiliated with that country from passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait until the operation in the Palestinian enclave ended. The Houthis have been attacking civilian ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November. On March 14, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the group will attack Israeli-linked ships sailing across the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope.

In response to these attacks, the US and UK announced Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Afterward, the UK and US started carrying out regular strikes on Houthi military sites in various Yemeni provinces.

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