Saudi-led coalition thwarts boat attack south of Red Sea

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Sunday it had thwarted a booby-trapped boat attack south of the Red Sea.

A coalition statement cited by the Saudi state news agency SPA said the boat was destroyed in al-Hudaydah in western Yemen.

The statement said the attack targeted navigation south of the Red Sea, without giving further details.

According to the statement, 106 explosive-laden boats were destroyed by the Saudi-led coalition south of the Red Sea since 2015.

The statement, however, did not explicitly blame Houthi rebels in Yemen for the planned boat attack and there was no comment from the Houthi group.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthis captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict has created one of the world's worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% of the country, or about 30 million people, in need of humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million are in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar