The United States (US) on Wednesday, January 24, carried out two more strikes against two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch.
Taking to X, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, “US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region.”
“U.S. forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missiles in self-defence.”
“This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” it added.
These strikes come in came in the wake of a larger round of strikes the previous day and are the latest against the Houthi group due to its targeting of shipping traffic in the Red Sea.
On Tuesday, January 23, US and United Kingdom (UK) forces carried out a new round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Houthi group on Tuesday reportedly asked UN workers from the US and the UK to leave Yemen in a month, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Since November 2023, the Houthis began striking Red Sea shipping, claiming it was a show of force to support Palestinians in Gaza in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The attacks disrupted global shipping and heightened concerns about the Middle East’s destabilization due to the war.
