Washington, Feb 3 (EFE). – The United States continues to retaliate against the Houthis in Yemen for the attacks on ships in the Red Sea and in recent hours attacked “in self-defense” six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles ready to launch and shot down a dozen drones, official sources reported Saturday.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X that it identified the cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at 7:20 pm Sana’a time on Saturday and “determined they posed an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.”
“This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure,” CENTCOM added in its X message.
The command also noted that on Friday at 10:30 am Sana’a time, the Navy destroyer USS Carney engaged and shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle over the Gulf of Aden, an operation in which “no injuries or damage were reported.”
A few hours later, at 4:40 pm, US Central Command forces conducted strikes against four Houthi UAVs that were ready to launch.
“US forces identified the UAVs in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they posed an imminent threat to commercial vessels and US Navy ships in the region,” CENTCOM said.
Another attack took place at 9:20 pm, when the destroyer USS Laboon and F/A-18s from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group attacked and shot down seven UAVs over the Red Sea, an operation in which no injuries or damage were reported.
“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM assured.
The Houthis, an Iranian-backed group considered terrorist by Washington, carried out dozens of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s offensive on Gaza in its fight against Hamas.
The latest reprisals against the Yemeni group, raising tensions in the Middle East, came on the same day that the United States bombed dozens of targets in Iraq and Syria allegedly linked to Iran in retaliation for last week’s drone strike that killed three US soldiers.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement that he did not seek conflict in the Middle East, but warned that his country would respond forcefully to any attack. EFE
pem-syr/mcd
