Houthis launch missile, drone attacks on US warships off Yemen’s coast

The Iran-backed group launched drones and fired missiles astatine 2 US warships successful an hours-long attack, nan Pentagon confirms.

US warships came nether sustained rocket and drone onslaught from Houthi fighters arsenic they sailed disconnected nan seashore of Yemen, nan Pentagon has confirmed, pinch nan equipped group claiming it attacked nan US craft bearer Abraham Lincoln and 2 US destroyers.

Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said connected Tuesday that the  United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) forces “successfully repelled aggregate Iranian backed Houthi attacks during a transit of nan Bab al-Mandeb strait”, which connects nan Red Sea to nan Gulf of Aden.

Ryder told reporters astatine a news convention that 2 US-guided rocket destroyers – nan USS Stockdale and USS Spruance – were attacked by astatine slightest 8 one-way onslaught drones, 5 antiship ballistic missiles and 3 antiship cruise missiles.

All nan Houthi drones and missiles “were successfully engaged and defeated”, and neither of nan US Navy ships were damaged aliases unit hurt, he said.

Ryder added that he was not alert of immoderate attacks against nan craft bearer USS Abraham Lincoln.

The USS Abraham Lincoln bearer and US Air Force nan B-52H Stratofortress behaviour associated exercises successful nan Arabian Sea successful 2019 [File: Handout/US Navy via AP]

Earlier connected Tuesday, Houthi fighters announced that they had carried retired 2 “specific subject operations” against nan US Navy successful an battle lasting 8 hours.

“The first cognition targeted nan American craft bearer (Abraham) located successful nan Arabian Sea pinch a number of cruise missiles and drones,” Houthi subject spokesperson Yahya Sarea said successful a statement.

“The different cognition targeted 2 American destroyers successful nan Red Sea pinch a number of ballistic missiles and drones,” he said, adding that nan cognition had “successfully achieved its objectives”.

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The Houthis, who power ample areas of Yemen, including nan superior Sanaa, person been carrying retired attacks connected Israel-linked shipping successful nan Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023, successful what it says is simply a run of solidarity pinch Palestinians.

The equipped group, however, has besides been accused of attacking commercialized ships pinch nary evident relationship to Israel aliases its warfare connected Gaza.

The Houthis person targeted much than 90 vessels pinch missiles and drones, sidesplitting 4 sailors and sinking 2 ships. The unit of 1 alloy – nan Galaxy Leader, a British-owned and Japanese-operated carrier, hijacked past November – stay detained successful Yemen.

The Yemeni group has demanded that Israel extremity its warfare connected Gaza arsenic a information for stopping nan attacks, which person severely disrupted waste and acquisition successful 1 of nan world’s busiest maritime routes.

Explosions return spot connected nan platform of nan Greek-flagged lipid tanker Sounion successful nan Red Sea connected August 29, 2024 [Handout/Houthi Military Media via Reuters]

The US, pinch support from nan United Kingdom, has carried retired repeated strikes connected targets successful Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen successful consequence to nan Red Sea shipping attacks.

On Sunday, nan US and UK launched aerial strikes connected Sanaa and nan bluish Amran governorate, pinch nan Pentagon saying it had targeted Houthi precocious weapons retention facilities.

The attacks came conscionable weeks aft intensive US raids connected Houthi targets successful which B-2 strategical bombers participated for nan first time, carrying retired strikes against 5 underground weapons retention locations.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies