Saudi Arabia: Two warship crew members die in Houthi boat attack

Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Two Saudi frigate crew members died and three were injured in a suicide attack by Houthi militants west of Hudaydah, Yemen, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

The warship came "under a terrorist attack" Monday while on patrol in the Red Sea west of the port of Hodeida, SPA reported. One boat collided with the back of the frigate, causing an explosion, according to the agency.

But the Houthi-controlled news agency, l-Masira, reported the warship was hit by a guided missile the Houthis launched from the base island of Zuqar, between Yemen and Eritrea.

A rebel military source told the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency "the targeting of this warship comes within the framework of the legal right of Yemen to defend the homeland and its sovereignty."

The Saudi ship continued patrolling, while the air force and the coalition forces' ships chased the fleeing boats, according to the coalition command.

The Saudi-led coalition warned the attack would "impact international navigation and the flow of humanitarian assistance to the port for Yemeni citizens."

In October, the Houthis were accused of firing missiles at a U.S. warship and a civilian logistics ship chartered by United Arab Emirates military.

On Sunday, one U.S. service member died and three others were wounded after a raid in Yemen's northern Baitha province against al-Qaida, the U.S. Central Command.

In Mach 2015, Saudi Arabia led a coalition that included the United States against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.