Yemen's Houthis "carried out a qualitative military operation against two ships linked to the Zionist entity. The first was the 'Swan Atlantic' ship, loaded with oil, and the other was the 'MSC Clara' ship, carrying containers. They were targeted by two naval drones," the group's spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a social media post.
The claim could not immediately be independently verified.
American media, citing a US military official said the USS Carney responded to a distress call earlier on Monday from the Swan Atlantic in the Red Sea after it was attacked by "multiple projectiles."
The commercial vessel was hit around 9:00 a.m. local time, the official said.
The incidents marked the latest in a series of attacks on commercial vessels by Yemen’s Houthi group in response to Israel’s war on Gaza. As recently as Saturday, the USS Carney shot down 14 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the US Central Command said.
The Houthis have been firing missiles and attempting to hijack ships linked to Israel passing through the Bab al-Mandab strait. The attacks have forced several major container lines to reroute their ships around southern Africa, pushing up fuel, insurance, and other costs.