Yemen’s Houthis claim downing U.S. drone, attacking ship

SANAA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthi group said on Sunday it had shot down a U.S. drone over northern Saada province and launched a ballistic missile at a ship in the Gulf of Aden.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed the drone was downed by a locally-made missile in retaliation for “American-British aggression” against Yemen, adding that this was the seventh U.S. drone they had shot down since the Israel-Palestine conflict began. The U.S. military has yet to comment on the Houthi claims.
Sarea also asserted that the group had fired several ballistic missiles at a ship named “Groton” in the Gulf of Aden. He vowed to escalate attacks on Israel until the siege on Gaza is lifted.
The Groton vessel, a Liberia-flagged container ship, reported it was attacked twice on Saturday in the Gulf of Aden, with no damage or injuries caused during the attacks, according to maritime authorities.
Tensions have escalated in the region since last November when the Houthis began targeting ships heading to Israel in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. In response, a U.S.-British naval coalition has carried out air strikes and missile attacks on Houthi targets.
The increased maritime threats have forced several shipping companies to reroute vessels around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the conflict zone. ■