NEW YORK, February 11. /TASS/. The United States delivered more strikes on Yemen on February 10 and hit two Houthi unmanned surface vessels and three cruise missiles, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
"On Feb. 10, between 4-5 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned surface vessels (USV) and three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM)," it said, adding that they were located north of the city of Hodeidah in Yemen and were about to be launched toward the Red Sea.
According to CENTCOM, the drones and missiles were spotted in the Yemeni territory controlled by the Houthi and posed a direct threat to US warships and commercial vessels.
Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis warned that they would launch strikes on Israeli territory while barring ships associated with the Jewish state from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until Tel Aviv ceased its military operation against Palestinian radical group Hamas in the embattled enclave. Since mid-November, more than 30 civilian ships have been attacked by the Houthi in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In response to Ansar Allah's actions, the US authorities announced the creation of an international coalition and preparations for an operation codenamed Prosperity Guardian, expected to ensure freedom of navigation and protection of ships in the Red Sea. On January 12, US and British aircraft, ships and submarines carried out their initial attack on targets belonging to the Ansar Allah movement in a number of Yemeni cities, including Sana’a and Hodeidah. The strikes targeted the launch sites of rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as radar stations belonging to the Houthi rebels.