YEMEN’S Houthi-led government is suspected of launching a fresh missile attack today near the key Israeli port city of Eilat that left a British-owned ship on fire, authorities said.

This is the second British-owned ship targeted by the Yemenis this week.

The attack in the Gulf of Aden saw two missiles fired, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. 

It confirmed that the ship, later identified as a Palau-flagged cargo named Islander, was on fire, without elaborating.

It had been coming from Thailand bound for Egypt and allegedly sent out messages saying “Syrian crew on board” to avoid being targeted.

Meanwhile, sirens sounded this morning over Eilat, followed by videos posted online of what appeared to be an interception in the sky overhead.

The Israeli military later said the interception had been carried out by its Arrow missile defence system, adding that “the target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians.”

Yemen did not immediately claim either attack. 

Since November, the Houthi movement has repeatedly targeted Israeli, US or British ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters to show support for Palestine. Israel’s war is armed and supplied by the US and Britain, which last week were the only countries not to back a ceasefire resolution at the UN security council.

Despite a month of US-led air strikes, Yemen remains capable of launching significant attacks. This week, they seriously damaged a ship and downed a US drone worth tens of millions of dollars. 

Yemen insists the attacks will continue until Israel stops the invasion.

The US State Department criticised “the reckless and indiscriminate attacks on civilian cargo ships.”

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the attacks do “nothing to help the Palestinians.”