The strike on Houthi targets in Yemen come after renewed attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea after nearly a week-long pause.
U.S. armed forces hit five targets in Yemen, taking out weapons used by the Houthi movement CENTCOM announced today. CENTCOM, as it has in past actions, called them “self-defense strikes” meant for protecting ships traveling through the Red Sea. The strikes targeted three mobile missile batteries carrying anti-ship munitions as well as two types of naval drones: an uncrewed underwater vessel and an uncrewed surface vessel.
Although the Houthis have several USVs and according to CENTCOM have been poised to launch them at commercial ships several times, this is the first instance of the group preparing an UUV since attacks on vessels started in October.
“CENTCOM identified the anti-ship cruise missiles, unmanned underwater vessel, and the unmanned surface vessel in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted to social media.
