Sanaa, Jan 4 (IANS): The Houthi group in Yemen has said it launched missiles targeting a cargo ship in the Red Sea.

The group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea in a live broadcast aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Wednesday said that the Houthi forces carried out an operation targeting the ship CMA CGM TAGE, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The operation came after the ship's crew refused to respond to calls from our forces, including fiery warning messages," he said.

The Houthi group confirms that they will continue to prevent Israeli ships or those heading to Israel from navigating in the Red Sea and Arab Sea until food and medicine aid are allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, the spokesman stressed.

Before dawn, residents in the western province of Taiz recorded and shared videos on social media capturing three missiles launched from the western coastal area of al-Barah towards the southern part of the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday that it had received reports of up to three explosions near a merchant vessel in the Bab El-Mandeb.

Earlier that day, the US Central Command verified that the Houthi militia had targeted cargo ships in the Red Sea. It said this was the 24th time the Houthis had attacked such vessels.

The Houthi new attack came nearly three days after a military helicopter of the US Navy forces patrolling the Red Sea shot and killed 10 Houthi militants and sank their three boats while they were trying to approach a merchant ship.

The Houthi militia has escalated their attacks on Israel-linked ships since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, demanding that food and medicine aid be allowed to enter the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.

The Houthi group controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.