CAIRO—The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said that Houthi radicals fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen into the Gulf of Aden, but no vessels were damaged.
“The missile did not impact any vessels and there were no injuries or damage reported,” CENTCOM added in a statement early on Thursday.
“United States Central Command then successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) and one surface-to-air missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, it said, adding “it was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region.”
Since mid-November, Houthi radicals have frequently launched drones and missiles at foreign commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden, claiming to be acting in sympathy with Palestinians in response to Israel's military strikes in Gaza.
Their Red Sea strikes have interrupted global commerce, forcing companies to reroute to longer and more expensive voyages around southern Africa, and raised concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict may expand to destabilize the whole Middle East.
In response, the US and the UK have launched a number of attacks against Houthi targets.
