Houthi rebels intensify attacks on US warships in Red Sea

Yemeni Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement have reportedly attacked the US aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman three times in the past 24 hours, a statement from the group's armed forces said.

Yahya Saria, Houthi military spokesperson, confirmed the multiple strikes in an interview with Houthi-owned media, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

"Over the past 24 hours, our armed forces have engaged three times with a group of enemy warships in the Red Sea, led by the US aircraft carrier Harry Truman," Saria said.

The operation, which involved a combination of missile forces, unmanned aerial systems, and naval units, reportedly utilized several cruise missiles and drones. Saria emphasized that these attacks were a part of the ongoing confrontation between the Houthi forces and the US military presence in the region.

The USS Harry Truman, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is currently stationed in the Red Sea, a strategically significant area in the ongoing conflict between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition.

At this time, there has been no official confirmation from the US military regarding the attacks, nor any details about potential damage or casualties.

The Houthis' actions are likely to further strain relations between the US and the rebel group, which has been involved in the Yemeni civil war since 2014. The conflict has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of casualties and widespread suffering among civilians.

The Iran-backed Houthis said on March 27 that they targeted an Israeli airport and army site as well as a US warship, soon after Israel reported intercepting missiles launched from Yemen.

The United States launched what its Central Command called a "large scale operation" involving air strikes against the Houthis on March 15.

Washington vowed to use overwhelming force until they stopped firing on vessels in the key shipping routes of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the rebels threatened to resume attacks over the Gaza war.

The Houthis have since reported near-daily US air strikes on areas under their control.

In response to the US strikes, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on the Truman carrier group off Yemen's coast, as well as projectiles fired at Israel.

The Houthis began targeting shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the start of the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with the Palestinian people, but paused their campaign when a ceasefire in Gaza took effect in January.

By Vafa Guliyeva