The US targeted Iran-backed terrorists for the third day in a row Sunday, destroying a Houthi missile it said posed an “immediate threat” to Navy ships in the Red Sea – as the extremist group vowed revenge.
“Teams conducted a self-defense strike against Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles poised to be launched against ships in the Red Sea,” US Central Command announced in an early morning tweet.
The 4 a.m. attack was launched after the US military determined the missile, located in the Houthi-controlled part of Yemen, threatened the safety of the Navy and nearby merchant ships, according to Central Command.
“This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy ships and merchant ships,” the statement said.
Immediately after the strike, a Houthi spokesman doubled down on his terror group’s claims that the months-long campaign to attack and seize merchant ships in the Red Sea was carried out exclusively to aid humanitarian efforts and Gaza, and vowed to retaliate.
US and UK forces spent the weekend attacking Houthi targets in Yemen. MOD/AFP via Getty Images
“This attack will not deter us from our moral, religious and humanitarian stand in support of the steadfast Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and will not go unpunished,” the representative said in a tweet.
The US strike on Sunday morning followed a 48-hour firefight between Houthi and American forces in the region.
On Saturday, at least 30 Houthi targets were struck by US and UK forces in 10 different locations in Yemen, including weapons storage facilities and command centers where the terrorists have been coordinating their Red Sea rampage.
A day earlier, the US military removed 11 armed Houthi drones that had either been launched or were being prepared for launch.
Houthi forces have been harassing merchant ships in the Red Sea for months. HOUTHIS MEDIA CENTER HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock US and UK aircraft and missiles have been attacking Houthi installations across Yemen every day since Friday. MOD/AFP via Getty Images
The attack coincided with a wide-ranging US attack on other Iran-linked groups in Iraq and Syria.
Airstrikes overnight killed at least 39 people and wounded dozens across 85 targets linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in response to drone strikes from the extremist group that killed three US service members at a base in Jordan last weekend.
Tehran called the attack a “violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” while the US Defense Secretary said it was just the beginning of America’s response to the Jordanian attack.
“This is the beginning of our response,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
“The President has ordered additional actions to hold the IRGC and coalition militias accountable for their attacks on US and Coalition Forces,” he said in a statement. “We will take all actions necessary to defend the United States, our forces, and our interests.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
