WASHINGTON, United States: US forces Wednesday destroyed a missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels that posed an “imminent threat” to US aircraft, said the military.
The United States has carried out strikes against the Houthis both unilaterally and jointly with Britain, but previous airstrikes have been aimed at reducing the rebels’ ability to target international shipping rather than addressing threats to aircraft.
U.S. forces “intercepted and destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile that was poised to launch” after determining it “posed an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft,” the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
CENTCOM did not identify the type of aircraft that was threatened or the exact location of the attack, saying only that it took place in “Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV earlier reported that US and British aircraft had struck the northern city of Saada, but did not identify a specific target or provide information on damage or casualties.
The rebels began targeting shipping in the Red Sea in November, saying they were targeting vessels linked to Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the war between Israel and Hamas.
American and British forces responded with strikes against the Houthis, who have since claimed American and British interests as legitimate targets.
Some of the US strikes were against missiles that CENTCOM said posed an immediate threat to ships, suggesting extensive surveillance targeting Houthi-controlled territory that likely includes military aircraft.
