US conducted five self-defence strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, military says

19 February 2024 - 09:58 By Jasper Ward and Doina Chiacu
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A US Navy sailor works during his day-shift at the flight-bridge of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) aircraft carrier in Southern Red Sea, Middle East, February 12, 2024.
A US Navy sailor works during his day-shift at the flight-bridge of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) aircraft carrier in Southern Red Sea, Middle East, February 12, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/ File photo

The US conducted five self-defence strikes in areas of Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, US Central Command said on Sunday.

It said it struck three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel and one unmanned surface vessel on Saturday.

“This is the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV since attacks began in October 23,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.

Central Command said it had determined the missiles and vessels presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant ships in the area.

The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea area have been one sign of spreading conflict in the Middle East since war erupted between Israel and Hamas after the militant Palestinian group's deadly assault on Israel on October 7.

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. But the US and its allies characterise them as indiscriminate and a menace to global trade.

Faced with mounting Red Sea violence, major shipping lines have largely abandoned the critical trade route for longer routes around Africa. This has increased costs, feeding worries about global inflation while sapping Egypt of crucial foreign revenue from shippers sailing the Suez Canal to or from the Red Sea.

Reuters

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