The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Wednesday the destruction by US forces of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an unmanned surface vessel launched by Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea, according to Arab media.
“On March 20, a coalition aircraft successfully engaged and destroyed one unmanned aerial vehicle and United States Central Command successfully engaged and destroyed one unmanned surface vessel, both launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
CENTCOM found that those weapons posed an “imminent threat” to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.
These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels.
The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or carrying goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip suffering from the Israel-Hamas war.
The Red Sea is one of the world’s most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel supplies. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin recently announced the establishment of a multinational mission to provide security in the Red Sea.
