Yemen's Houthi group said late Wednesday that they targeted an American commercial ship "headed to the ports of occupied Palestine with several naval missiles, resulting in a direct hit."
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced the development in a televised statement.
"In support of the injustice against the Palestinian people facing continuous Israeli aggression until this moment and as a response to the American-British aggression on our country, the (group's) naval forces executed a qualitative military operation targeting an American commercial ship, Cole, heading to the ports of occupied Palestine," he said.
He added that "the ship was targeted with several naval missiles, resulting in a direct hit."
"This operation comes just hours after the (group's) naval forces targeted an American destroyer in the Red Sea with several naval missiles, causing a direct and precise hit," he said.
"The Yemeni Armed Forces continue to provide support to the Palestinian people in Gaza by preventing Israeli navigation from heading to the ports of occupied Palestine in the Red and Arabian Seas until the aggression stops and food and medicine are allowed to enter for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."
Saree threatened that "the Yemeni Armed Forces will face the American-British escalation with escalation and will not hesitate to carry out extensive and qualitative military operations in response to any American or British folly against Yemen."
He also affirmed that "all American and British ships in the Red and Arabian Seas are legitimate targets for the Armed Forces as long as the American-British aggression on Yemen continues."
There has been no immediate response from U.S. authorities regarding Saree's statements.
