American and British military forces have launched at least six attacks against Hodeidah International Airport in Yemen and four more on Kamaran Island, near the Red Sea port of Salif, in the past few hours, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah television network.

It is the first time that Kamaran Island has been targeted by the international coalition, led by the US, which has been launching sporadic strikes against Houthi rebel positions since the beginning of February.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government believes the Houthi rebels have launched some of their recent attacks on merchant ships from Kamaran Island and the port of Salif.

Last week, two merchant ships – the Greek-owned Tutor and the Ukrainian Verbena – were hit by Houthi missiles and drones. Their crews were forced to abandon them and both ships were in danger of sinking.

Since last November, Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels have frequently launched missile and drone attacks against merchant ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. They initially said they were targeting ships linked to Israel, but later expanded their targets to include ships linked to the US and Britain in retaliation for strikes against their positions in Yemen by forces from those countries.

Houthi attacks in the region have caused problems for global shipping, forcing companies to send their ships on time-consuming and more expensive voyages around southern Africa.