Yemeni rebels control capital Sanaa and much of the Red Sea coast
U.S. and allied forces on Saturday shot down 15 unidirectional attack drones launched by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the U.S. military said.
Soon after, the rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they fired missiles at an “American” merchant ship and launched drones at U.S. warships “in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”
It was one of the largest attacks since the Houthis began carrying out drone and missile attacks in November on ships in the Red Sea region, which is crucial for world trade as they fight Iran-backed Hamas militants in Israel publicly expressed support for the Palestinians during the war. Gaza Strip.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the “large-scale” Houthi attack occurred before dawn and hit the Red Sea and adjacent Gulf of Aden.
Central Command and the coalition determined that the drones “posed an imminent threat to commercial shipping, U.S. Navy and coalition vessels in the area.”
It added in a post on social media platform
“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer.”
Houthi armed spokesman Yahya Saree also said on Channel X that the rebels had carried out two separate operations.
He said the first attack targeted the merchant ship “Propel Fortune” in the Gulf of Aden, calling it an “American” ship.
Ship tracking websites described the bulk carrier as Singapore-flagged but did not report its current location.
Saare said the second operation launched “37 drones” against “multiple U.S.” warships.
The United States announced a maritime security initiative in December to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks that have forced commercial ships to reroute a route that typically carries 12% of global trade.
Rebel attacks this week resulted in the first reported deaths.
The Philippine government said a missile attack on the bulk carrier True Confidence killed two Filipino crew members.
The first known ship to be sunk in an attack occurred on March 2, when the Belize-flagged, Lebanese-operated Rubymar sank in the Red Sea just days after a rebel missile attack.
Since January, the United States and the United Kingdom have also launched multiple strikes against Houthi armed targets in Yemen in response to ship attacks, but the rebels have continued to attack commercial ships and also targeted American and British ships.
Although the Saudi-led coalition began a bombing campaign in 2015 and continued for several years, Yemeni rebels still control the capital Sanaa and much of the Red Sea coast.
The U.S. military said at the time that on January 9, U.S. and British forces shot down 18 drones and three missiles launched by rebels at ships in the Red Sea.
Britain said it was the Houthis’ largest attack to date.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
