SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
US says it hit Huthi missile that threatened American planes
Washington, Jan 31 (AFP) Jan 31, 2024
American forces destroyed a missile belonging to Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels on Wednesday that posed an "imminent threat" to US aircraft, the military said.

The United States has carried out strikes on the Huthis both unilaterally and jointly with Britain, but previous air raids were focused on reducing the rebels' ability to target international shipping rather than addressing a danger to aircraft.

US forces "struck and destroyed a Huthi surface-to-air missile that was prepared to launch" after determining that it "presented an imminent threat to US aircraft," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

CENTCOM did not identify the type of aircraft that were threatened or the exact location of the strike, only saying that it took place in "Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen."

Huthi-run Al-Masirah television had earlier said US and UK aircraft had targeted the northern city of Saada, but did not identify the specific target or provide information on damage or casualties.

The rebels began targeting Red Sea shipping in November, saying they were hitting Israeli-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war.

US and UK forces have responded with strikes on the Huthis, who have since declared American and British interests to be legitimate targets as well.


- Persistent attacks -


Some of the US strikes have been carried out against missiles that CENTCOM has said posed an imminent threat to ships, indicating a robust surveillance effort focused on Huthi-controlled territory that likely involves military aircraft.

The United States also set up a multinational naval task force last month to help protect Red Sea shipping from the Huthis, who are endangering a transit route that carries up to 12 percent of global trade.

In addition to military action, Washington has sought to put diplomatic and financial pressure on the Huthis, redesignating them as a terrorist organization earlier in January after previously having dropped that label soon after President Joe Biden took office.

But the Huthis' attacks have persisted, with the rebels saying earlier Wednesday that they fired "several" missiles at a US warship in the Red Sea.

"The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of God Almighty, fired several... naval missiles at the American destroyer USS Gravely in the Red Sea," the Huthis said in a statement.

CENTCOM had previously said an American destroyer had shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired "from Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea," but it was unclear if it was referring to the claimed Huthi attack.

Anger over Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza -- which it launched after an unprecedented attack by Hamas in October -- has grown across the Middle East, stoking violence involving Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, as well as Yemen.

American forces in the region have been attacked more than 165 times since mid-October.

A drone attack on a base in Jordan on Sunday killed three US soldiers, with Washington blaming Iran-backed militants and vowing a decisive response.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Axiom private mission to ISS delayed because of weather
Trump-Musk showdown threatens US space plans
Japanese company aborts Moon mission after assumed crash-landing

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Leaders warn race for minerals could turn seabed into 'wild west'
China carefully assembling a deep-sea mining strategy
China, South Korea must safeguard free trade, Xi tells Lee

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Iran says has intel to strike Israel in response to 'any' attack on nuclear sites
Iran says to submit own nuclear proposal to US soon
NATO learns as Ukraine's 'creativity' changes battlefield

24/7 News Coverage
World leaders urged to step up for overexploited oceans
Farmed production of some fish - and seaweed - is soaring
What is the high seas treaty?



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.