The United States conducted a “self-defense” strike early Thursday that targeted and destroyed multiple projectiles that Yemen’s Houthi militants were preparing to launch at commercial ships, a U.S. official told Fox News.
The airstrikes are the 12th US airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthis since January 11 and the second in less than 24 hours.
Houthi fighters hold a protest against the US government near Sanaa, Yemen, on Thursday, January 25th. (AP/Osama Abdulrahman)
Britain was not involved in this attack, which was carried out unilaterally by the United States.
Thursday morning’s airstrike was unrelated to Sunday’s drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers and injured more than 40 on a base in Jordan.
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The attack came after the United States attacked a Houthi air-to-air missile that it was preparing to launch from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.
U.S. officials said surface-to-air missiles were falling to the ground and “posed an imminent threat” to U.S. military aircraft patrolling the area.
FILE – This photo provided by the Indian Navy shows the U.S.-owned ship Genco Picardy attacked by a bomb-laden drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. ing. Yemen’s Houthi rebels’ invasion of the Red Sea has unraveled key global trade routes, forcing ships to make longer and more expensive voyages around Africa. (Indian Navy, via AP, File)
Yemen-based Houthi militants have been shelling commercial ships in the Red Sea for weeks. The soldiers say the attack was a show of support for Palestinians killed in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.
The attack caused ships to reroute to avoid the Red Sea, adding significant costs and delays. Since early December, shipping volumes in the region have plummeted, with nearly 40% fewer ships passing through the canal and a 45% drop in cargo tonnage.
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None of the strikes resulted in any civilian casualties, but two U.S. Navy SEALs recently went missing during a mission in the Red Sea and were later confirmed dead.
This is a developing story. Please check the latest information.
Fox News’ Liz Friden and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
