By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed air defense and drone systems of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces in the area of the Red Sea, with no injuries or damage reported to commercial, U.S. and coalition ships.
The U.S. Central Command said on X its forces had destroyed an air defense system with two missiles ready to launch, a ground control station in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and one unmanned aerial system launched by the Houthis from Yemen over the Red Sea.
Houthi forces in Yemen said on Sunday they had launched rockets and drones at British, U.S. and Israeli ships, the latest in a campaign of attacks on shipping in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war.
The U.S. Central Command said on Sunday, an anti-ship ballistic missile was launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden where also no injuries or damage were reported by U.S., coalition or commercial ships.
Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. The United States and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
The Houthi militants, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, call their action a response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and a show of solidarity to Palestinians.
Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 33,000 people, according to the local health ministry and displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million.
The Israeli offensive began after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Jamie Freed)
