American forces destroyed a missile belonging to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Wednesday that posed an imminent threat to US aircraft.
US forces “struck and destroyed a Houthi 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 “Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
Houthi-run Al-Masirah television had earlier said US and UK aircraft had targeted the northern city of Saada.
The strike comes after the Houthis fired a ballistic missile toward the USS Carney in the Gulf of Aden on Friday. The projectile was “successfully shot down” by the American destroyer and there were no reports of injuries, according to CENTCOM.
The Houthis began targeting Red Sea shipping in November, saying they were hitting Israeli-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza. US and UK forces have responded with strikes on the Houthis, who have since declared American and British interests to be legitimate targets as well.
