Al-Houthi armed forces alleged to have attacked two Saudi tankers or to have launched a larger strike inside Saudi territory

ON 23 JULY, THE YEMENI AL-HOUTHI FORCES ISSUED A STATEMENT IN WHICH THEY LAUNCHED A MILITARY STRIKE ON TWO SAUDI TANKERS IN RESPONSE TO WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS THE SAUDI BLOCKADE IMPOSED ON YEMEN AND IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR OPERATIONAL PRINCIPLE OF “RESPONDING TO THE BLOCKADE WITH THE BLOCKADE”. THE STATEMENT STATES THAT THE VESSELS ATTACKED WERE THE “ENCELIA” AND “LAYLA” AND THAT, IN VIOLATION OF THE RED SEA SHIPPING BAN PREVIOUSLY ISSUED BY THE HOUTHIS, THE HOUTHIS USED BALLISTIC MISSILES, CRUISE MISSILES AND DRONES TO STRIKE TWO TANKERS AND THAT THE ATTACK TRIGGERED FIRE ON TWO VESSELS. THE STATEMENT ALSO STATED THAT SOME 10 SHIPS HAD BEEN FORCED BY AL-HOUTHI FORCES TO RETURN THE SAME DAY. THE STATEMENT STATES THAT THE AL-HOUTHI FORCES WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT NAVAL MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST SAUDI ARABIA AND CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THE SO-CALLED MEASURES “TO RESPOND TO THE BLOCKADE WITH A BLOCKADE”. THE STATEMENT ALSO WARNED THAT, SHOULD SAUDI ARABIA LAUNCH A NEW MILITARY OPERATION AGAINST YEMEN, THE AL-HOUTHI FORCES WOULD STRIKE AT SAUDI TARGETS ON A LARGER SCALE. (OBSERVED)