SANAA, Yemen 

The Houthi group said Friday that eight Yemeni fishermen were killed "deliberately" by international forces in the Red Sea while fishing in territorial waters.

"The bodies of the eight fishermen were found on the Zol Hirab Islands in the west after they had mysteriously disappeared a month ago," Houthi-run news agency Saba quoted a statement by the Houthi Ministry of Fisheries.

The statement denounced "the ongoing hostilities by mercenaries and the US-Israeli alliance to protect Israel-linked ships and the use of force and threats against fishermen."

The group did not specify the date when the fishermen were killed, nor whether it occurred on a single day or over several days.

There have been no comments by the internationally-recognized Yemeni government or the US-led coalition on the Houthis' statement as yet.

Tensions have escalated in the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on Israel-bound ships.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, prompting the US and Britain to launch retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio