The US Central Command (Centcom) announced on Monday that American forces destroyed two drones in Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen over the past 24 hours.
Additionally, partner forces successfully intercepted and destroyed two more Houthi drones over the Gulf of Aden.
The statement from the US Central Command emphasized, “These systems were identified as an imminent threat to US and coalition forces, as well as commercial vessels in the area.”
“Our actions were taken to safeguard freedom of navigation and to ensure the security and safety of international waters for US and coalition forces, as well as commercial shipping.”
On Sunday, the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) also reported that the frigate “Psara” had destroyed two drones in the Gulf of Aden.
This operation underscores the ongoing efforts to protect maritime security in the region.
Meanwhile, in a televised speech on Sunday, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi claimed that his group’s operations had significantly disrupted Israeli maritime activities.
“Our naval operations have impacted the Israeli, American, and British economies. Israeli navigation has been halved, and movement in the Red Sea is nearly nonexistent,” al-Houthi stated.
Since last fall, the Houthis have been targeting cargo ships, alleged to be linked to Israel, with missiles and drones in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean.
In response to these maritime attacks, the US-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes against Houthi positions in various parts of Yemen since January 2024.
As tensions escalated with the involvement of the US and the UK in January, the Houthi group declared that all American and British vessels were now considered legitimate military targets.
