US forces have carried out airstrikes on five missiles in Yemen, one of which was intended to attack land and the others to strike ships, the US military said.
The strikes came a day after US and UK forces launched a wave of airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, the third round of joint military action in response to the rebels' persistent attacks on shipping.
US forces "conducted a self-defense strike against a Houthi land-attack missile..." and later hit "four anti-ship missiles, all of which were prepared to be launched against ships in the Red Sea," Central Command (CENTCOM) said in social networks.
U.S. forces "identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they pose an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels in the region," CENTCOM added.
The Houthis began attacking shipping in the Red Sea in November, saying they were striking ships linked to Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been devastated by the war between Israel and Hamas.
Anger over Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza - which began after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7 - has grown across the Middle East, fueling violence involving Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen./BGNES
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