Houthis Release Seized S. Korean Vessels

South Korea announced the release of the two Koreans, who were held by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

In an official statement issued on Wednesday, South Korean Foreign Ministry said "The vessels and crew members that were seized and detained in Yemen have all been freed."

“The vessels include two South Korean ships and one Saudi-flagged tug,” the statement read.

Noteworthy, South Korea announced on Tuesday that the Iran-backed Houthi militias seized three vessels, including two Korean ones, near the western island of Kamran, Red Sea on Monday morning.

Two South Korean nationals are aboard one of the ships seized by Houthis, according to an official statement issued by South Korean foreign ministry.

Moreover, the Korean ministry added that the three vessels were captured on their way to the port of Berbera in Somalia, coming from the port of Jizan in Saudi Arabia.

In addition, the Saudi-led military coalition fighting Houthis revealed earlier that the group had seized a ship towing a South Korean drilling rig. The incident took place late on Sunday.

“The Houthis, sailing in two boats, boarded the vessel and robbed the crew at gunpoint,” Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said. “This terrorist group poses a criminal precedent against the security of the Mandab Strait and Southern Red Sea."

The Houthis, who control Sanaa and most of Yemen’s other populous areas, have stepped up attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia in recent months.