The US military, in an update on Sunday’s military operations detailing events in the past 24 hours, stated that the Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles from areas they control in Yemen towards the Gulf of Aden.
A statement from the US Central Command published on “Ex” stated: “One of the anti-ship ballistic missiles struck the container ship MV Faina off Taiz, a container ship owned and operated by Switzerland flying the Liberian flag.”
The statement added: “MV Faina reported damage but continued sailing. The second anti-ship ballistic missile was successfully destroyed by a coalition ship. No injuries were reported by US, coalition, or commercial vessels.”
Additionally, the statement said that “separately, Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile and a cruise missile, both anti-ship, in the Gulf of Aden. Both missiles struck the cargo ship MV Norderny, a cargo ship owned and operated by Germany flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda.”
The statement noted that the ship “MV Norderny reported damage but continued sailing.”
Furthermore, US Central Command forces succeeded in destroying “a drone over the Gulf of Aden. Later, US forces successfully destroyed two cruise missiles belonging to the Houthi ground attack and a missile launch platform in areas under Houthi control in Yemen. These weapons are determined to pose an imminent threat to the United States, coalition forces, and commercial vessels in the region.”
The statement emphasized that “these actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US vessels, the coalition, and commercial ships.”
Since last November, the Houthis have launched dozens of rocket and drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, which they consider to be linked to Israel or heading to its ports, claiming it as support for Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing war since October 7.
Washington leads an international naval coalition aimed at “protecting” maritime navigation in this strategic region, through which 12% of global trade passes.
In an attempt to deter them, US and British forces have been striking Houthi sites in Yemen since January 12.
Occasionally, the US military alone carries out strikes on rockets and drones it says are ready for launch.
