The US military announced on Thursday that it had carried out defensive strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, that were targeting US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.
The US Central Command wrote on X:
United States Central Command conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region.
“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels,” it added.
Since 12 January, the US and Britain have been conducting aerial strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have declared that they consider all US and British ships to be their “legitimate targets” as part of their support for the Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.
