The US shot down at least 11 Houthi drones late Friday, including some that were preparing to launch over the Red Sea and others already in the air.
US forces carried out strikes against four Houthi “unmanned aerial vehicles” that were “ready to launch,” late Friday afternoon, US Central Command announced on X Saturday.
“US forces have identified UAVs in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they pose a definite threat to merchant ships and US Navy ships in the region,” the statement said. “US forces then attacked and destroyed the UAV in self-defense.”
Late Friday night, a US missile cruiser with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group shot down seven additional drones over the Red Sea, CENTCOM added.
USCENTCOM Red Sea Operation Update
On February 2, at approximately 10:30 am (Sanaa time), USS Carney (DDG 64) engaged and shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the Gulf of Aden. No injuries or damage were reported.
Later that same day, at about 4:40… pic.twitter.com/K7zVEq6zjm
— US Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 3, 2024
There were no injuries or damage from the action, according to an official statement.
The US military is battling Houthi militants in the Red Sea, a key global shipping lane where terrorists have targeted at least 30 merchant ships in recent months, significantly disrupting trade.
The Houthi offensive began on November 19, ostensibly in retaliation for Israeli ground operations in the Gaza Strip following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.
“This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy ships and merchant vessels,” the announcement said.
Houthi-made drones and missiles are on display in a square in Sana’a, Yemen. YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The drone strike came just a day after a Houthi missile came close to a US warship in the Red Sea triggering the Deep Close Weapon System, known as the last line of defense.
Last month, a senior US Navy official said that Iran was “directly involved” in the Houthi invasion.
The Red Sea battle is part of a larger network of tensions in the Middle East – most of which center on Tehran allegedly supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
Armed Houthi fighters stand guard during a protest in Sana’a, Yemen, against US-led attacks on Houthi positions. YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Also on Friday, the US launched counterstrikes against more than 85 targets linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and related militias in Iraq and Syria.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
