US military destroys Houthi missiles and drones in Yemen

The US Central Command has reported the destruction of two surface-to-air missiles and four unmanned aerial vehicles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the past 24 hours.

This action was taken to mitigate threats to US and coalition forces, as well as merchant vessels in the region, Caliber.Az reports.

"In the past 24 hours, US Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed two surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and four uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) on the ground in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," the Centcom said on social platform X.

July 18 U.S. Central Command Update

In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed two surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and four uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) on the ground in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

It was determined these weapons… pic.twitter.com/Qq8ZyHJLPK

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 18, 2024

Centcom's statement emphasized that these weapons posed an immediate threat to freedom of navigation and the safety of international waters.

"It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure," it claimed.

The Houthis maintain that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain, as part of the rebels’ support for the militant group Hamas in its war against Israel. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the war — including some bound for Iran, which backs the Houthis.

Last week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for launching missiles at the Maersk Sentosa, a US-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden. This attack is noted as the rebels' longest-range strike against a US-flagged vessel near the Arabian Sea. The ship, identified by the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), is operated by Maersk, the world’s largest shipping company, which confirmed that its vessel was targeted.