The US military has said it destroyed two Houthi patrol boats, one uncrewed surface vessel and one drone over the Red Sea in its latest effort to degrade the capabilities of the group, Reuters reports.

The Houthis, who control the most populous areas of Yemen, targeted the Verbena in the Arabian Sea as well as the Seaguardian and Athina in the Red Sea, the group’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised speech earlier on Thursday.

The attack on the Palau-flagged Verbena cargo ship sparked a fire and severely injured one of her crew, US Central Command said.

The rebels launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen into the Red Sea, the US Central Command said, adding there was no damage or injuries from those missiles.

The US Central Command said it “will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities”.