Houthis say fuel tanker in the Red Sea targeted with missiles

Yemen's Houthis targeted a fuel tanker, MADO, in the Red Sea with naval missile and Israel's Eilat port and resort region with winged missiles, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Tuesday (March 19).

MADO is a Marshall-Islands flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker heading to Singapore from Saudi Arabia, maritime shipping trackers showed. The Houthis described it as American, but Equasis's shipping database indicates that it is owned by Naftomar Shipping & Trading Co Ltd of Greece. Naftomar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iran-aligned Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles at international commercial shipping in the Red Sea region since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to take longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa.

The United States and UK, along with other navies, have carried out strikes against Houthi targets in response.

In a separate attack, Houthi militants killed at least 18 people in the central Yemeni province of Al Bayda, the official Yemeni news agency Saba reported on Tuesday.

The Houthis control most of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the main Red Sea port of Hodeidah. The militants since 2014 have been in a civil war with Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Western governments and Saudi Arabia.

ALSO READ: Leader of Yemen's Houthis vows to attack more shipping lanes