US, UK Target Houthi Anti-Ship Missiles, Drones, Other Facilities in Preemptive Strike

The US military carried out strikes on Saturday (local time) against six anti-ship missiles belonging to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. The US Central Command said that the missiles the US forces struck were ready to be launched against ships transiting the Red Sea.

“On Feb. 3, at approximately 7:20 p.m. (Sanaa time), US Central Command forces conducted strikes in self-defence against six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea. US forces identified the cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region. This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels,” the US CENTCOM said.

The CENTCOM also said that US forces shot down eight drones near Yemen the day before and destroyed four more before they could be launched.

The spokesman for the Iran-backed group, Nasr al-Din Amer, said that escalation will be met with escalation. “Either there is peace for us, Palestine and Gaza, or there is no peace and no safety for you in our region. We will meet the escalation with escalation,” Nasr al-Din Amer said, in a social media post.

The CENTCOM said the drones that were struck before they could be launched belonged to the Houthis but did not reveal the country or group owned the drones that were shot out of the air.

It also said that the UK Armed Forces and with the support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand also took part in a separate set of strikes along with the US forces which targeted 36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen.

The strikes were in response to the Houthis’ continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea, the coalition said.

“Coalition forces targeted 13 locations associated with the Huthis’ deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, and radars,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. “(These) are intended to further disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to conduct their reckless and destabilising attacks,” he further added.

Neither the US defence secretary nor the joint statement identified the specific places that were hit, but the Houthi-run Al-Masirah television said Sanaa and other locations were targeted.

The British defence ministry said the Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon warplanes struck several targets including two ground control stations used to operate both attack and reconnaissance drones.