US military targets 10 Houthi drones in new Yemen strikes
Al JazeeraThe Iran-aligned rebel group has warned of more attacks against US and British warships. On Thursday, US forces targeted a “Houthi UAV ground control station and 10 Houthi one-way UAVs” that “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region”, the US military’s Central Command said in a statement referring to unmanned aerial vehicles. CENTCOM Self-Defense Strike Against Houthi UAVs and Ground Control Station pic.twitter.com/9LUKQS2HEB — U.S. Central Command February 1, 2024 The group said on Wednesday that all US and British warships participating in “aggression” against Yemen are targets, heightening concerns over the escalating tensions in the region as well as the increased disruption to world trade. On Wednesday, CENTCOM said forces had destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile that posed a threat to “US aircraft”, in a marked difference from past air raids that have focused on the group’s ability to affect global shipping in the Red Sea. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his British counterpart, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, to discuss the situation in the Red Sea and the “international action to hold the Houthis accountable for their illegal and reckless attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden”, the US Department of State said on Wednesday.