The British defence ministry stated on Sunday that a claim by the Houthis of Yemen, that they fired ballistic missiles against a British destroyer at the Red Sea is false.

The Houthis didn't say if the attack on the HMS Diamond they claimed to have carried out had caused any damages, but they described it as "accurate".

A spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defence said that "these claims are false".

The Houthis claimed that they also attacked two commercial ships, which they identified by the names Norderney Tavvishi.

In the statement, it was stated that the Tavvishi (which is in the Arabian Sea) and the Norderney were both hit and a fire had broken out on the Norderney.

Since November, the Houthi militia that controls the majority of Yemen has launched attacks against ships off the coast in solidarity with Palestinians living in Gaza.

The campaign disrupted shipping around the world, forcing companies to take longer, more expensive routes through southern Africa. It also stoked concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread to the Middle East and destabilize it.

In response to the attacks against shipping, both the United States and Britain carried out strikes on Houthi targets. Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, Clauda Tanios, and Michael Holden from London. Editing by Timothy Heritage.