US Shoots Down 8 Houthi Drones In Red Sea Operation

American forces have shot down eight drones close to Yemen and impaired four on the ground, the U.S. military mentioned on Saturday, declaring a set of incidents that had happened the earlier day.

The strikes, as well as the shootdowns in and around Yemen, came through as U.S. forces launched a wave of air raids on Iran-associated targets in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for an attack that took the lives of three U.S. troops over the last weekend.

A U.S. Navy destroyer shot down a drone on Friday morning while the F/A-18 warplanes and another vessel downed seven on that day, and American forces had destroyed four more before they were properly launched, the Central Command (abbreviated as CENTCOM) mentioned on social media.

CENTCOM mentioned that the four drones impaired on the ground were of the Iran-backed Houthis, but it did not, however, identify a nation or group linked to the ones shot out of the air. Despite preserving the freedom of navigation, these measures will increase the security and safety of international waters for merchant and U.S. Navy vessels, said CENTCOM.

The Houthis started attacking vessels in the Red Sea in November, claiming they were attacking ships with ties to Israel in aid of the Palestinian individuals in Gaza, who have been devastated by the Israel-Hamas conflict. When British and American forces launched strikes against the Houthis, the latter group claimed that American and British interests were acceptable targets.

The U.S. established a multinational naval task force to safeguard commerce on the transit channel, accounting for up to 12% of world trade besides strikes against Houthis. In addition to preserving the right of navigation, these measures will increase the safety and security of international waters for merchant and U.S. Navy ships, according to CENTCOM.

The Houthis started attacking ships in the Red Sea in November, claiming they were attacking vessels with ties to Israel in aid of the Palestinian people in Gaza, which has been devastated by the Israel-Hamas conflict. After British and American forces launched strikes against the Houthis, the latter group said that British and American interests were acceptable targets.

The U.S. established a multinational naval task force for protecting commerce on the transit channel, accounting for up to 12% of world trade besides strikes against Houthis.

Anger regarding Israel’s devastating campaign in Gaza has expanded across West Asia, stoking violence that also involves Iran-backed groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.

On 28 January, a drone reportedly slammed into a base located in Jordan, taking the lives of three U.S. soldiers and also wounding over 40 — an attack that Washington blamed on the Iran-backed forces. On Friday, the U.S. responded with strikes against the dozens of targets at seven Tehran-linked facilities in Syria and Iraq but didn’t hit any Iranian territory.

Reference: The Hindu

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