Crew abandons vessel after missile attack off Yemen
Baku, February 19, AZERTAC
A vessel was abandoned by its crew on Sunday after being hit by Houthi missiles in the Red Sea off Yemen, said a UK security observatory agency, according to Xinhua.
The crew was safe, and military authorities were on the scene, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said, referring to the U.S.-British naval coalition formed in January to counter Houthi attacks on shipping.
The agency did not identify the vessel, but Houthi activists on social media claimed it was a British ship.
The Houthis have stepped up their missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and its allies since November, saying they are in response to the Saudi-led coalition's bombing campaign and blockade of Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition, which intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015, said it is trying to prevent the Houthis from acquiring advanced weapons from Iran and restore the internationally recognized government.
The U.S. Central Command said on Sunday it had destroyed five Houthi targets, including missile launchers and underwater drones, in self-defense strikes.
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