The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Sunday that they carried out a military operation targeting the Israeli oil tanker SCARLET RAY in the northern Red Sea.

The spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, confirmed Monday that the attack was conducted using a ballistic missile and struck the vessel directly. The operation, he emphasized, was part of Yemen’s ongoing support for the people of Gaza amid the Israeli occupation’s war on the besieged Strip.

The statement added that Yemeni forces would continue their operations to obstruct Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea and block ships from reaching the ports of occupied Palestine.

The armed forces also reiterated their commitment to confronting the Israeli occupation, vowing further attacks on Israeli targets in occupied Palestine as part of what they described as their duty to support the Palestinian cause.

'Explosion' reported in Red Sea

British maritime security firm Ambrey reported on Sunday that a Liberia-flagged, Israeli-owned tanker experienced an explosion nearby while sailing southwest of the Saudi port city of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.

According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the vessel’s crew reported “a splash in close proximity from an unknown projectile and heard a loud bang.” UKMTO said that the crew was unharmed and that the tanker continued its voyage.

In an update, Ambrey assessed that the vessel was “aligned with the targets of Yemen’s Ansar Allah profile,” noting that it was publicly identified as Israeli-owned.