The U.S. Central Command announced today that it has successfully destroyed five Iranian-backed Houthi drones and two missile systems in areas controlled by the Houthi group, Ansar Allah, in Yemen.
According to a statement released by the Central Command, “Over the past 24 hours, our forces have managed to eliminate five unmanned aerial vehicles and two missile systems that posed a clear and imminent threat to U.S. forces, allied forces, and commercial ships in the region.”
The statement further explained that these measures were taken to ensure the safety of navigation and to secure international waters for American and allied commercial ships.
The announcement comes a day after the Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Sarea, declared that a U.S. drone was shot down—the second such incident within 72 hours.
On Saturday, the Houthi group claimed it had downed an American MQ9 drone while it was engaged in hostile actions over the skies of Marib province.
The Houthis have threatened the United States, Israel, and Britain with “surprises on land and at sea,” employing unprecedented new technologies.
They also declared the Red Sea devoid of any U.S. military presence, adding that Washington had suffered a significant defeat in its naval battle.
Since last November, the “Ansar Allah” group has launched naval attacks it claims are targeted at Israeli-linked ships heading to Israeli ports, in support of Palestinian factions battling the Israeli military in Gaza.
