Illustrative image. (The United States Central Command)
The United States announced on January 20 that it had carried out a sixth wave of strikes against the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen.
The strikes targeted three Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement posted on X, previously known as Twitter.
“U.S. forces identified the missiles 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 missiles in self-defense. This action will make international waters safe and secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” reads the statement.
The Yemeni Al-Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, said that “an American-British aggression” had targeted the area of Jabbana in the coastal province of al-Hudaydah. However, the news channel didn’t report any casualties.
Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, launched from either a surface ship or a submarine, were used in recent strikes on Yemen, ABC News reported citing a U.S. official.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, began attacking merchant ships in November, saying they were responding to the Israeli war on the Palestinian Gaza. Since then, the group has launched dozens of attacks on Israel-affiliated ships passing through the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
In response, the U.S. and its allies, including the United Kingdom, formed a naval coalition and began launching strikes on Yemen.
The last wave of strikes on Yemen came after the U.S. re-designated the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity earlier this week.
It also came just a day after President Joe Biden said that the U.S. military actions were not deterring the Houthis from attacks in the region, but that he would continue ordering the airstrikes.
