Coalition forces destroy two explosive-laden Houthi boats

The boats belonging to Houthis were threatening navigation. They were destroyed 6 kilometres south of Salif, says spokesman; Iran hits record one-day virus death toll of 221

The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen destroyed two explosive-laden boats in the Red Sea on Thursday, its spokesman said.

The two remotely controlled boats belonged to Houthi forces and were threatening navigation, his statement carried on Saudi state news agency SPA said.

They were destroyed 6 kilometres south of the Yemeni port of Salif in the early hours of Thursday, he said.

The coalition has previously accused the Houthi movement of trying to attack vessels off the coast of Yemen with unmanned boats laden with explosives.

The coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis ousted the internationally-recognized government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.

In a separate development, it was reported that Yemen cemetery officials are struggling to dig enough graves as coronavirus is spreading fast in the country.