An attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea killed three mariners and wounded two others, a European Union naval force said Tuesday, highlighting the danger of the group's renewed campaign targeting a key maritime route for international trade.

Yemen's Houthi rebels killed 3 mariners with an attack on a ship in the Red Sea, a European naval force says, fueling concern over a possible new wave of attacks by the Iran-backed group.

The Israeli military says the strikes were a response to attacks by the Houthis, who later launched two missiles towards Israel and the occupied West Bank.