Saudi-led forces destroy Houthi rebel bomb boats
Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen on Thursday destroyed two explosive-laden boats that belonged to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Coalition spokesman Col Turki Al Malki said the vessels, which were six kilometres south of Saleef Port in Hodeidah province, posed an “imminent threat to sea lines of communication, international trade and regional and international security”.
The boats were destroyed at 3.20am, he said.
They were 215 metres off shore and ready to be used in terrorist attacks in the Bab Al Mandeb and Southern Red Sea region, Col Al Malki said.
He said the operation did not break ceasefire rules and coalition forces took all necessary precautions to protect civilians.
The Houthis launch attacks from the Hodeidah area.
Yemen’s civil war was sparked when the Houthis captured Sanaa in late 2014.
A Saudi-led coalition intervened a few months later at the request of the internationally recognised government, which is led by President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi.
The conflict is at a stalemate, with the Iran-backed rebels retaining control of much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa.
In April, the coalition announced a truce to protect Yemenis against the spread of coronavirus.
The rebels have breached the ceasefire hundreds of times since it was put into effect by the coalition.