Huthis target US warship
YEMEN’S Huthi rebels fired “several” missiles at a US warship in the Red Sea, they said yesterday, hours after the US military reported shooting down a missile.
Earlier, US Central Command said the USS Gravely shot down a Huthi missile on Tuesday – the latest in a series of such incidents in the Red Sea.
“Iranian-backed Huthi militants fired one anti-ship cruise missile from Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea,” a Centcom statement said.
“The missile was shot down by USS Gravely. There were no injuries or damage reported.”
The Huthis, who are part of the antiWestern, anti-Israel “axis of resistance” of Iranian-backed groups, have been harassing Red Sea shipping for months, triggering US and British reprisal attacks.
They have launched more than 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels since November19, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
The rebels say the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians and in protest at the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12% of global maritime trade.
The US and British forces have launched two joint strikes targeting Huthi missile sites and other military facilities. The US has also carried out a series of unilateral strikes.
The US heads a coalition to protect Red Sea shipping and it is seeking to apply diplomatic and financial pressure by redesignating the Huthis as a “terrorist” group. |