Yemen’s army said on Monday that it intercepted four explosive-laden Houthi boats trying to approach the Hanish and Zuqar islands in the Red Sea, as military tensions in the country continue to rise.

The Yemeni Armed Forces Media Centre said in a statement on US social media company X that naval and coastal defence units engaged in several clashes with four Houthi “suicide boats” after detecting them near the two islands.

The boats attempted to approach the islands, which are controlled by government forces and overlook international shipping routes, before being intercepted by naval forces, the statement said.

The army said it had detected “heavy” Houthi boat activity throughout the day as the group attempted to approach the government-held islands.

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Earlier on Monday, the government-aligned National Resistance Forces said they had also detected repeated movements by Houthi explosive boats on Sunday and Monday attempting to approach the island. Naval forces intercepted the boats, the group said without providing further details.

The Houthis have not yet commented on either statement.

The incidents come amid a fresh escalation between Yemen’s government forces and the Houthis in recent weeks, as the country continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian and economic crises.

Yemen has experienced relative calm since 2022 after years of war between government forces and the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and other parts of the country since 2014.

The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government backs government forces, while Iran is accused of supporting the Houthis, who announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in July.