7/8/2024–|Last update: 7/8/202404:41 AM (Makkah Time)
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced yesterday, Tuesday, the destruction of a drone belonging to the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) and two anti-ship ballistic missiles in areas controlled by the group in Yemen.
“These weapons posed an imminent threat to US and coalition forces (Prosperity Guardian) and commercial vessels in the region,” CENTCOM said in a statement on its X account. It added that these actions are being taken “to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters more secure and safe.”
August 6 US Central Command Update
In the past 24 hours, US Central Command forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle and two Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Red… pic.twitter.com/OxzII8RcDz
— US Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 6, 2024
Last Sunday, the Houthi group said it shot down a US drone over the northern province of Saada and targeted a ship in the Gulf of Aden, in the first attack on shipping lanes since Israel carried out a retaliatory airstrike on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on July 20.
The Houthis have been launching attacks on international shipping near Yemen since last November in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war waged by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza Strip.
In contrast, Washington and London began launching air strikes and missile attacks on Houthi sites in Yemen at the beginning of this year, which the group responded to by announcing that it now considers all American and British ships to be among its military targets, and expanding its attacks to ships passing through the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean or any place its weapons can reach.