At least two sailors have been killed after a Saudi warship came under attack off Yemen’s coast. The Saudi military claimed it was a “suicide boat” attack, but an unnamed Houthi rebel source said the vessel was “destroyed” by an anti-ship missile.
A video allegedly showing the moment of the attack on the Saudi warship has widely circulated on Monday.
The vessel, presumably one of the four Saudi Al Madinah-class frigates, was allegedly hit by a guided anti-ship missile, according to al-Masirah television network citing an unnamed source in the Yemeni rebel forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The attack took place near the port city of Hodeida, 150 kilometers southwest of the Yemeni capital Sana’a, according to the source who said the ‘aggressor’s warship, involved in attacks on Yemeni “cities and fishermen,” was “destroyed” as a result.
However, the Saudis and Iranian media disagree on whether a missile or bomb-laden boat carried out the attack.
Iranian state media claimed the attack was carried out by Houthi militants in Yemen with a guided missile against a Saudi navy vessel.
The media cites a source as saying the vessel had 176 sailors and officers, as well as a combat helicopter, on board at the time of the attack.
The so-called Command of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen acknowledged the attack, but described the event quite differently.
The frigate came under a “terrorist attack,” conducted by three suicide boats, according to a Saudi-led coalition statement. While the two rogue boats have been dealt with “as necessary,” the third one hit the ship near the astern, which resulted in a fire. Two sailors were killed and three injured during the incident.