3 fishermen injured, others missing in Houthi missile strike off western Yemen

Sahin Demir and Lina Altawell

Three fishermen were injured and others are missing Thursday after Houthi ballistic missiles struck fishing boats near Hanish Island in the Red Sea, according to Yemen’s government-aligned National Resistance.

The Houthis targeted several fishing boats while they were anchored near the island, the 2 December news agency said.

The attack destroyed three boats, while search operations were continuing for the missing fishermen and to assess further damage, according to the agency.

The Yemeni navy quickly evacuated fishermen from the site of the attack and transferred the injured and survivors to a safe location, it added.

Hanish Island lies in the Red Sea off Yemen’s western coast, an area that has seen tensions linked to military and security activity in maritime routes.

Earlier Thursday, Yemen’s Houthi group targeted a village in western Yemen and islands overlooking maritime trade routes with ballistic missiles, while the Yemeni navy downed a Houthi drone above the Red Sea, pro-government sources said.

At least one missile targeted a village near Al-Khawkhah city in Yemen’s western Hodeidah province, according to the government-aligned Joint Forces, which did not provide information on possible casualties.

In a later development, a military source told the official Saba news agency that Houthi forces had targeted several islands overlooking maritime trade routes with ballistic missiles.

The same source said the Yemeni navy had downed a Houthi drone over the Red Sea.

The reported missile attacks come amid stepped-up fighting between the Houthis and Yemeni government-aligned forces in several parts of the country.

In 2014, the Iran-backed Houthis overran much of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

This was followed by several years of war between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition.

Since the eruption of the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2023, the Houthis have become increasingly involved in regional hostilities, carrying out missile attacks on Israel and Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea.

The latest uptick in fighting in Yemen – coupled with the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States – has revived fears of a return to full-scale conflict in the impoverished Gulf country.