The US responded to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea by striking their positions in Yemen’s northwestern province of Hajjah on Friday.
This follows the Houthis claiming responsibility for targeting a new cargo ship and executing their first attack with explosive boats.
As the Iran-backed group mobilized for rallies and demonstrations in response to leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, its sites in the Al-Jarah district of Hajjah province were hit by seven airstrikes.
In the Al-Jarah region, a Yemeni army camp seized by the Houthis is suspected to be a base for launching missiles and drones. The US military has not provided details yet.
Concerns are rising among Yemeni observers and government officials about the Houthis escalating naval attacks by deploying sea mines heavily in the Red Sea. There are also fears of targeting communication cables.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said an aerial drone was downed over the Gulf of Aden, which sits between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, around 5 a.m on Feb.1. local time (0200 GMT).
No injuries were reported.
Later in the day, around 10:30 a.m local time (0200 GMT), US forces struck and destroyed an unmanned Houthi-affiliated surface vessel in the Red Sea.
The boat was heading towards the international shipping lane, posing a threat to commercial and US naval vessels. In self-defense, it was detonated, causing significant secondary explosions. No injuries or damages were reported.
US CENTCOM also said that two anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen at around 12:45 p.m local time on Feb.1 against the Liberian-flagged container ship “Koi.”
“The missiles impacted in the water without hitting the ship. There were no injuries and no damage reported to the M/V Koi or coalition ships in the area,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Since Nov. 19, Iran-backed Houthis have carried out around 38 sea attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
