The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that it conducted a strike early on Thursday against 10 drones prepared for launch and a ground control station in areas controlled by the Houthi group in Yemen.
The command also mentioned that a U.S. Navy ship also downed three Iranian drones and a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden, with no reports of injuries or damages.
Earlier, the command confirmed that its forces destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile prepared for launch from areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen, representing an “imminent threat” to its aircraft.
Additionally, the maritime security company, Ambrey, reported that a missile launched from Yemen early on Thursday hit a commercial ship off the country’s coast. Ambrey stated, “It is reported that a commercial vessel was targeted by a missile while sailing… southwest of Aden, Yemen,” adding that “the vessel reported an explosion on board.”
U.S. Airstrikes
Conversely, Al Masirah, a channel affiliated with the Houthis, stated that U.S. and British airstrikes targeted the Al-Jabana area in the city of Al-Hudaydah in western Yemen in the early hours of Thursday.
The group earlier announced that U.S. and British forces conducted several airstrikes in the Saada governorate in northwestern Yemen, and emphasized that “this aggression will not pass without retaliation and punishment, and the aggressor countries will bear the consequences of their aggression.”
Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthi group, mentioned that the Houthis will confront the U.S. and British escalation with a corresponding escalation and will not hesitate to respond with widespread and qualitative military operations, indicating that they continue to prevent Israeli navigation or navigation heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the aggression on Gaza stops.
The U.S. Department of State reported that Secretary Antony Blinken and British Defense Minister Grant Shapps discussed the developments in the Red Sea and international efforts to hold the Houthis accountable for their attacks.
Gaza Support
It is worth mentioning that the Houthis began targeting ships associated with or heading to Israel in the Red Sea in November last year in support of the Palestinians facing continuous aggression in Gaza.
In January last year, the U.S. and British forces conducted a series of strikes on their military sites in an attempt to deter them. The United States also formed the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) last month to assist in protecting shipping in the Red Sea, through which up to 12% of global trade passes.
In addition to military actions, Washington sought to exert diplomatic and financial pressure on the Houthis and reclassified them as a “terrorist organization” last month, after this classification was lifted following President Joe Biden’s assumption of office.
