Yemen Monitor/News Room
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces “engaged” on Friday with a boat and a drone from Houthi-controlled areas.
“CENTCOM” said in a statement that “a ballistic anti-ship missile was launched on Thursday from Houthi-controlled areas towards the Gulf of Aden.”
It explained that “no injuries or damage were reported to US ships, coalition ships (Prosperity Guard) or commercial ships” in the area.
“CENTCOM” indicated that US Central Command forces succeeded on Thursday in destroying a boat and a drone in Houthi-controlled areas.
On Thursday, the Houthi armed group announced that it had targeted “102 American, British and Israeli commercial and warships” since last November.
Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a speech broadcast on the group’s Al-Masirah television, that the group is seeking to expand and strengthen its “new operations in the Indian Ocean.”
Since November, the Houthis have targeted more than 60 commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and recently expanded their operations to the Indian Ocean. They said they were targeting Israeli-linked ships that were carrying out a brutal attack on Gaza Strip. However, the Yemeni government and experts say the Houthis’ goals are domestic to escape internal crises and improve their image in the region.
In response, the United States and Britain have been carrying out an air strike campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthi militants since January 11. As a result, the Houthis have announced the expansion of their operations to include US and British ships.
