This was the Houthis’ first response since the US and UK launched attacks on bases and launch sites in Yemen.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile at a US destroyer in the Red Sea on Sunday, the latest attack to disrupt global shipping amid the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Officials announced that it was shot down by a US fighter jet.
The attack was the first Houthi shelling recognized by the United States since the United States and its allies launched an offensive against the rebels on Friday following weeks of attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The attack threatens to escalate the conflict into a regional conflagration, as the Houthis have targeted a vital corridor linking Asia and the Middle East’s energy and cargo shipping from the Suez Canal to Europe over the Israeli-Hamas war.
The Iranian-allied Houthi rebels, who seized Yemen’s capital in 2014, did not immediately acknowledge the attack.
It was not immediately clear whether the United States would retaliate for the attack, but President Joe Biden said he would “not hesitate to direct further action as necessary to protect our people and the freedom of international commerce.” Ta.
The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that Sunday’s Houthi artillery fire was directed toward the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Rabun, which is operating at the southern end of the Red Sea.
The U.S. said the missiles came from near the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, long held by the Houthis.
Central Command announced that an anti-ship cruise missile was fired from the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel area in Yemen towards the aircraft carrier Labun. “No injuries or damage were reported.”
The first day of the American and British offensive on Friday hit more than 60 targets, hitting 28 locations with cruise missiles and bombs fired from fighter jets, warships and submarines. Officials said the areas attacked included weapons depots, radar and command centers, including in remote mountain areas.
The Houthis have yet to admit the severity of the damage caused by the airstrike, saying five soldiers were killed and six others injured.
US forces attacked a Houthi radar site on Saturday.
Shipping through the Red Sea has been slowed by the attack. The US Navy on Friday warned US-flagged vessels to stay away from waters surrounding Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the first airstrike.
