U.S. Central Command said Wednesday it had carried out a “self-defense strike” against Houthi missiles and launch pads that were preparing to launch from Yemen into the Red Sea.
The agency said that between 12:00 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday, it counterattacked seven Houthi mobile anti-ship cruise missiles and one mobile anti-ship ballistic missile launcher aimed at the Red Sea. , four self-defense attacks were carried out.
CENTCOM also announced that in an act of self-defense, its military shot down an unmanned aircraft system conducting a one-way attack.
US conducts ‘self-defense’ attack against Houthi anti-ship missile: Centcom
US Central Command announced further “self-defense strikes” against Houthi terrorists in Yemen after US forces discovered missiles and launchers ready for launch into the Red Sea. (Mass Communications Special Officer 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/U.S. Navy, via AP)
The missiles, launchers and unmanned aircraft systems were all found to have originated from Houthi-held territory in Yemen.
Centcom said they “posed an imminent threat to commercial shipping and U.S. Navy vessels in the region” and were destroyed.
Houthis demand US and UK aid workers to leave Yemen within 30 days after second coalition strike
“These measures will protect freedom of navigation and make the high seas safer and more secure for the U.S. Navy and commercial vessels,” CENTCOM concluded.
In recent days, Centcom and the State Department have firmly condemned Houthi aggression against military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea.
On February 16, a model of a Houthi missile was carried in Sanaa, Yemen, during a protest against the Gaza war and US-led airstrikes targeting the Houthis. (Mohamed Mohamed/Xinhua News Agency, via Getty Images)
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Prior to Wednesday’s self-defense strike, U.S. and coalition forces have since Feb. 19 intercepted 11 one-way attack drones, one anti-ship cruise missile and one surface-to-air missile launcher in Houthi-controlled Yemen. Shot down. , according to an announcement from CENTCOM.
FOX News’ Liz Frieden contributed to this report.
