SANAA/LONDON – Yemen's Houthi group said on Thursday that it had carried out a military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, claiming the vessels had violated the group's recently announced maritime restrictions.

In a statement aired by the group's Al-Masirah television, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said Houthi forces targeted the tankers, identified as Encelia and Layla, using "ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones."

Sarea said the vessels were targeted for violating the embargo imposed by the group's armed forces on ships calling at Saudi ports. He claimed the strikes caused fires to engulf both tankers and had "successfully achieved their objectives."

The statement did not specify the location of the incident or provide evidence of the alleged damage, and it did not say whether there were any casualties.

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The claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a tanker caught fire off the coast of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after being struck by an unknown projectile, leaving the crew fighting the blaze.

According to a UKMTO advisory, the attack occurred about 70 nautical miles (130 km) southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, in the southern Red Sea.

The UKMTO said there were no reported casualties or environmental impact, and an investigation was underway.

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The Houthi claims came two days after the group announced expanded maritime restrictions targeting vessels trading with Saudi ports, warning that ships violating the measure could become "subject to targeting."

The group said the measure was a response to the continued closure of Sanaa International Airport, accusing Saudi Arabia of backing restrictions on air traffic to Houthi-controlled areas.

The Houthis have previously used missiles, drones, and naval weapons against vessels they accused of being linked to Israel and the United States during the Gaza war, forcing shipping companies to divert vessels away from the Red Sea, a vital corridor for international trade and energy shipments.

The latest attack underscores growing security concerns along the Red Sea shipping route leading to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising fears that disruptions already affecting the Strait of Hormuz could spread to another vital maritime chokepoint.

Shipping analytics firm Kpler said on Wednesday that vessel traffic through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait fell sharply on Tuesday as security conditions deteriorated.

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The firm also reported several confirmed vessel U-turns near the Gulf of Aden following Houthi threats against Saudi-linked shipping, suggesting that operators were becoming increasingly cautious.

Kpler warned that continued attacks around the two regional maritime chokepoints could reshape shipping routes, raise freight costs and keep geopolitical risk premiums in global energy markets elevated. 

Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. The latest development has fueled concerns that the de-escalation since a 2022 UN truce could unravel.