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US launched air strikes against the Houthis on Thursday morning, February 1, in response to a new attack by the Iran-backed group, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
American forces said they destroyed 10 drones launched by the Houthis and raided a ground control station belonging to the Iran-backed group on Thursday.
A US warship also shot down an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis and later downed three Iranian drones, Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
While the United States has recently launched strikes on the Houthis and other Tehran-supported groups in the region, both Washington and Iran have sought to avoid a direct confrontation. However, today's incident could heighten tensions.
Early on Thursday, US forces targeted a "Houthi UAV ground control station and 10 Houthi one-way UAVs" that "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region," CENTCOM said in a statement, using an abbreviation for unmanned aerial vehicle.
It did not specify if the drones shot down by the naval destroyer were designed for attack or surveillance.
American forces also destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile on Wednesday that CENTCOM said posed an imminent threat to "US aircraft" -- a deviation from past air raids that focused on reducing the rebels' ability to threaten international shipping.
It did not identify the type of aircraft that were threatened or the exact location of the strike, only saying that it took place in "Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen."
The Houthis began targeting Red Sea shipping in November, saying they were hitting Israeli-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war.
US and UK forces have responded with strikes on the Houthis, who have since declared American and British interests to be legitimate targets as well.
The United States also set up a multinational naval task force to help protect Red Sea shipping from the Houthis' repeated attacks on the transit route, which carries up to 12 percent of global trade.
In addition to military action, Washington has sought to put diplomatic and financial pressure on the Houthis, re-designating them as a terrorist organization earlier in January after previously having dropped that label soon after President Joe Biden took office.
W.G. DUNLOP, with AFP
American forces said they destroyed 10 drones launched by the Houthis and raided a ground control station belonging to the Iran-backed group on Thursday.
A US warship also shot down an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis and later downed three Iranian drones, Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
While the United States has recently launched strikes on the Houthis and other Tehran-supported groups in the region, both Washington and Iran have sought to avoid a direct confrontation. However, today's incident could heighten tensions.
Early on Thursday, US forces targeted a "Houthi UAV ground control station and 10 Houthi one-way UAVs" that "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region," CENTCOM said in a statement, using an abbreviation for unmanned aerial vehicle.
It did not specify if the drones shot down by the naval destroyer were designed for attack or surveillance.
American forces also destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile on Wednesday that CENTCOM said posed an imminent threat to "US aircraft" -- a deviation from past air raids that focused on reducing the rebels' ability to threaten international shipping.
It did not identify the type of aircraft that were threatened or the exact location of the strike, only saying that it took place in "Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen."
The Houthis began targeting Red Sea shipping in November, saying they were hitting Israeli-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war.
US and UK forces have responded with strikes on the Houthis, who have since declared American and British interests to be legitimate targets as well.
The United States also set up a multinational naval task force to help protect Red Sea shipping from the Houthis' repeated attacks on the transit route, which carries up to 12 percent of global trade.
In addition to military action, Washington has sought to put diplomatic and financial pressure on the Houthis, re-designating them as a terrorist organization earlier in January after previously having dropped that label soon after President Joe Biden took office.
W.G. DUNLOP, with AFP
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