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Saudi Coalition Destroys 2 Houthi Vessels Threatening Oil Tanker in Red Sea - TV

Saudi Arabia is heading a coalition that supports the Yemeni government led by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi against the Shiite Houthi movement.
Sputnik

The Saudi-led coalition forces have destroyed two Houthi boats, threatening an oil tanker in the Red Sea, according to al-Arabiya TV channel.

At the same time, United Arab Emirates news agency WAM has reported that it was UAE coalition forces that destroyed the boats, specifying that another one had managed to escape.

The reports haven't mentioned the name of the tanker or the amount of the damage sustained, if any.

Meanwhile, SPA news agency reported that at least five Saudi Arabia's servicemen were killed in clashes with the Houthi militants in the southern part of Saudi Arabia, including a Saudi Arabian officer.

The coalition's armed conflict with the Houthis has further escalated in the wake of the repeated missile launches by the Yemeni militants, which have been targeting the Saudi infrastructure, including the Aramco oil facility and the military base, located near the border with Yemen.

READ MORE: Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Ballistic Missile Over Jizan - Reports

Houthis Fire Missile at Aramco Distribution Center in Saudi Arabia - Reports
The most recent Houthi attack took place on May 15, when Saudi forces intercepted a Houthi missile fired at the military base in Jizan, which is used by the coalition forces to conduct attacks against the Houthi forces entrenched in Yemen's western regions.

READ MORE: Saudi Forces Intercept Houthi Missile Fired at Military Base in Jizan - Reports

The coalition includes several Arab and African states and launched a military operation in Yemen in 2015 upon the request of the country's President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, forced to flee to Riyadh after a series of uprisings staged by the Houthi rebels. The Saudi-led forces' campaign in the region is aimed at restoring the government of Hadi.

READ MORE: French Gov't Faces Legal Action Over Arms Exports to Saudi Arabia, UAE

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