Houthis begin attacking Red Sea shipping in November
Washington:
The U.S. military said it shot down three unidirectional attack drones near commercial ships in the Red Sea on Friday, after downing four drones on the ground in Yemen the day before.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been targeting shipping for months, and their attacks have continued despite repeated U.S. and British strikes aimed at crippling the rebels’ ability to threaten vital global trade routes.
Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media that early on Friday, the US military “shot down three Houthi armed unidirectional attack drones near several commercial ships operating in the Red Sea. No damage was caused to any ships.”
U.S. forces shot down four Houthi drones and two anti-ship cruise missiles on Thursday, U.S. Central Command said, adding that the weapons were “prepared to be launched into the Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.”
The Houthis began attacking Red Sea shipping in November, saying they targeted Israel-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been ravaged by Israel’s war with Hamas.
U.S. and British troops launched strikes against the Houthis, who later declared U.S. and British interests also legitimate targets.
Israel’s destructive campaign in Gaza, which began with an unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, has fueled growing anger across the Middle East, triggering violence by Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
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