The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen claimed Houthi rebels attacked an oil tanker in the Red Sea on Tuesday.
The Houthi rebels have intensified attacks against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks following the third anniversary of the war in Yemen.
The coalition, which is waging a war against the Houthis in Yemen, said in a statement that the tanker was in international waters, west of the port city of Hodeida, and that after being hit, it was able to continue its journey, escorted by a warship affiliated with the alliance.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki was quoted by Saudi media outlets saying the “terrorist attack” threatened Gulf-Europe oil trade in the vital Bab el-Mandeb strait.
The Houthis said, in a text message that was sent to and reported by Reuters, that they had actually been targeting a battleship “in response to the bombardment of displaced people in Hodeida.”
Twelve civilians from the same family were killed in an airstrike in Hodeida on Monday, Reuters said, adding that the port of Hodeida is a major entry point to Yemen for relief supplies and other commercial goods.
More than 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since March 2015. About 8.4 million face imminent famine in the country, according to the United Nations.
Last week, one person was killed and two others were wounded in a ballistic missile attack on Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi military said it intercepted seven ballistic missiles on the night of 25 March, including one over the capital Riyadh. It added, as reported by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, that falling fragments from an intercepted missile fell onto a residential neighbourhood of Riyadh, killing one Egyptian national and injuring two other Egyptians.
