Yemen’s Houthis on Tuesday claimed their third attack on American warships in 48 hours, despite US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels that have sparked mass protests.

The Houthis said on Telegram they had targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group with missiles and drones, making the attack the “third in the past 48 hours” in the northern Red Sea.

A US defense official said the Houthis “continue to communicate lies and disinformation,” adding the Iran-backed group is “well known for false claims minimizing the results of our attacks while exaggerating the successes of theirs.”

US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich earlier told reporters it was “hard to confirm” the attacks claimed by the Houthis as the rebels were missing their targets “by over 100 miles” (160 kilometers).

Houthi media said fresh US strikes hit Yemen on Monday after tens of thousands demonstrated, many waving assault rifles, daggers, or Qurans, chanting “Death to America, death to Israel!” in the capital Sanaa.

There were also large crowds in Saada, the birthplace of the Houthi movement, and demonstrations in Dhamar, Hodeida, and Amran, footage from the rebels’ Al-Masirah TV station showed.

“Yemen will never back down — we defy the Americans, we defy the Zionists,” said a man shouting slogans to the Sanaa crowd, who chanted back: “We are the men of the Prophet.”

The protests came after Washington launched a fresh campaign of airstrikes on Yemen beginning Saturday, aiming to pressure the Houthis into ending their attacks on Red Sea shipping.

The Houthis have targeted ships traveling the major trade route since the start of the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.

The US strikes killed 53 people and wounded 98 on Saturday, according to the Houthi-run health ministry.

The rebels’ Al-Masirah channel and Saba press agency reported new US........

© The Times of Israel