BREAKING NEWS !! WASHINGTON (AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The five armed assailants captured by U.S. forces after seizing a commercial ship near Yemen over the weekend were likely Somali and not Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, the Pentagon said Monday.

Recent attacks on commercial vessels have been conducted by Houthis, seen as part of a rise in violence in the region due to the Israel-Hamas war.

While the Pentagon was still assessing the motives of the latest group, “we know they are not Houthi,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. He didn’t rule out that the rebels were somehow linked to the attack.