DUBAI
\nYemen\u2019s Houthi rebels fired two missiles late Tuesday toward merchant ships travelling in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
\nUnited Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations had initially reported explosions near a cargo ship sailing between the coasts of Eritrea and Yemen.
\n\u201cMaster reports no damage to the vessel and crew are reported safe at present,\u201d the agency, run by Britain\u2019s Royal Navy, said in a brief message.
\nThe US Central Command later said Houthi rebels had fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the southern Red Sea, where there were multiple commercial ships but \u201cnone have reported any damage\u201d.
\n\u201cThese illegal actions endangered the lives of dozens of innocent mariners and continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce,\u201d CENTCOM said on X, adding it was the 24th attack against merchant shipping in the area since November 19.
\nThe UN Security Council is set to hold a meeting Wednesday on maintaining international peace and security, which French diplomats said would address the issue of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
\nIn recent weeks, Houthi rebels have launched a flurry of drone and missile strikes targeting commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
\nThey say their strikes are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas militants.
\nThe Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital Sanaa and much of the country\u2019s Red Sea coast, have warned they will target ships sailing in the Red Sea that have links to Israel.
\nSeveral missiles and drones have been shot down by US, French and British warships patrolling the area.
\nThe attacks endanger a transit route that carries up to 12 percent of global trade, prompting the United States to set up a multinational naval task force to protect Red Sea shipping.
\nOn Sunday, the US military said it had sunk three Houthi boats following attacks on a container ship of Denmark\u2019s Maersk line.
\nThe rebels said 10 of their fighters were killed in the incident.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DUBAI Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels fired two missiles late Tuesday toward merchant ships travelling in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations had initially reported explosions near a cargo ship sailing between the coasts of Eritrea and Yemen. \u201cMaster reports no damage to the vessel and crew are reported […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":378618,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-378601","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n