Coalition Forces intercept, destroy explosive-filled Houthi boat

The Coalition Forces in Support of Legitimacy in Yemen said it today intercepted and destroyed an explosives-laden boat launched from Yemen by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, reported the Saudi Press Agency, SPA.

In a statement, the Coalition's official spokesperson Colonel Turki Al Maliki, said, an "imminent, hostile, terrorist attack" south of the Red Sea was foiled by the Coalition's navy in the morning of the 23rd February 2020.

"The terrorist Houthi militia launched the rigged boat off of Hodeidah Governorate. Coalition navy forces totaled and destroyed the rigged boat," he said, adding that the incident represents a threat to regional and international security, as well as sea lines of communication and international trade.

Moreover, Al Maliki said three naval mines were discovered and destroyed in Bab-el-Mandeb strait and the southern Red Sea in the last 24 hours. So far, 150 naval mines deployed by the Houthi militia were discovered and destroyed, he added.

The spokesperson said that the Houthis are using Hodeidah as a base to launch ballistic missiles, UAV and remote-controlled explosive-filled boats and to deploy naval mines at random.

"This is a clear, flagrant violation of the international humanitarian law and the Hodeidah Agreement," he concluded.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.