![A man carries a weapon as people attend a graduation ceremony for cadet, completed their military training under the name of "Aqsa Flood", organized by the Houthis, in Arhab district of Sana'a, Yemen on February 4, 2024. [Mohammed Hamoud - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AA-20240204-33613667-33613648-HOUTHI_MILITARY_GRADUATION_CEREMONY_IN_YEMEN____.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Yemen’s Houthi group yesterday claimed to have targeted a British destroyer in the Red Sea and two ships in the Arabian Sea, Anadolu reported.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said fighters attacked British destroyer Diamond in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles “in response to the Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.”
At least 274 people were killed and nearly 700 others injured in the Israeli bombardment of the camp on Saturday, according to local health authorities.
The group said its fighters also targeted Norderney and MSC Tavvishi ships in the Arabian Sea with naval and ballistic missiles and drones.
READ: Yemen Houthis say they attacked three ships in Red Sea, Arabian Sea
On Saturday night, maritime security firm Ambrey said an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged cargo ship caught fire after it was hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen.
“The ship was heading southwest along the Gulf of Aden at a speed of 8.2kts when the forward station was struck by a missile. A fire started but was neutralised,” Ambrey said in a statement.
A second missile missed and “small boats in the vicinity opened fire on the ship” causing it to change direction to port. “No injuries were reported,” the security firm added.
For its part, the British Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that there had been an “incident” in the area during which a ship was hit by an “unspecified projectile.”
The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, where more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in a deadly Israeli offensive since October.
The US and UK have responded to the Houthi manoeuvres by targeting what they claim to be Houthi bases in Yemen.
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