The United States early Thursday conducted another strike into Yemen, destroying Houthi drones and a drone control center. Photo by PFC3 Samantha Alaman/U.S. Navy/UPI |
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Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The United States destroyed Houthi drones and a drone ground control station in strikes in Yemen early Thursday, as the U.S. military continues to target the Iran proxy militia's capabilities of attacking merchant and U.S. Navy vessels transiting the Red Sea.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that it conducted the strikes at 1:30 a.m. local time after it had identified the locations of the targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen "and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region."
"U.S. Forces subsequently struck and destroyed the UAV ground control station and 10 one-way attack UAVs in self-defense," CENTCOM said. "This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels."
The strike is the latest in some dozen the U.S. military has conducted against the Iran proxy militia since Jan. 11, as it attempts to deter the Houthis from its continuous assaults of shipping vessels transiting the Red Sea.
The Houthis have vowed to attack commercial vessels as well as British and U.S. warships amid Israel's war against Hamas, another Iran-backed militia, stating it stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Hours earlier, at about 9:10 p.m. Wednesday, the Arleigh Burke-class USS Carney destroyer shot down three Iranian UAVs, which followed it shooting down a Houthi-fired anti-ship missile in the Gulf of Aden about 40 minutes earlier, CENTCOM said in a statement.
The Houthis have launched more than 30 attacks at merchant vessels, one of which it has hijacked in the all-important trade route of the Red Sea. The attacks have prompted about 15 shipping companies to reroute vessels to avoid the violence.
The Biden administration has pledged to retaliate against attacks on the shipping lane, which is responsible for between 10% and 15% of global trade, but has repeatedly said it is not seeking an escalation to the conflict.
