Following a previous Houthi attack on a ship, one merchant sailor went missing. On Saturday, authorities stated that the US military launched a series of strikes against radar sites run by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in response to their attacks on ships in the vital Red Sea route.
Attacks against the Houthi campaign, which the rebels claim are intended to end the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, coincide with the U.S. Navy seeing its most fierce fighting since World War II.
But while traffic in a passage essential for the transportation of goods and oil between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East remains halved, the Houthis frequently target ships and sailors who are not involved in the conflict as part of the Iranian-backed rebel assaults.
According to the military’s Central Command, seven radars in Houthi-controlled area were damaged by American attacks. It refrained from providing further details regarding the destruction of the sites and delayed answering inquiries from The Associated Press.
“These radars allow the Houthis to target maritime vessels and endanger commercial shipping,” Central Command stated.
According to the statement, the United States destroyed two drone boats carrying bombs in the Red Sea and a drone that the Houthis had deployed over the waterway independently.
The Houthis, who had seized control of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, in 2014, declined to recognize the strikes or any military casualties. That has been the norm ever since the United States started attacking the rebels with aircraft.
Central Command said that one commercial sailor from the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged bulk cargo carrier Tutor was still missing following the Houthi attack on Wednesday, which involved the use of a drone boat carrying a bomb.
“The crew abandoned ship and were rescued by USS Philippine Sea and partner forces,” Central Command stated. The “Tutor remains in the Red Sea and is slowly taking on water.”
According to the U.S. Maritime Administration, since November, the Houthis have launched more than fifty attacks on shipping, murdered three sailors, taken control of one vessel, and sunk another.
Since January, the Houthis have been the subject of an airstrike campaign spearheaded by the United States. According to the rebels, a series of strikes on May 30 left at least 16 dead and 42 wounded.
More than 37,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip due to the conflict, while hundreds more have died as a result of Israeli operations in the West Bank, according to Gaza health officials.
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It started on October 7, when militants led by Hamas invaded Israel, killing over 1,200 people and kidnapping nearly 250 more.
“The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza.” Central Command stated. “The ongoing threat to international commerce caused by the Houthis in fact makes it harder to deliver badly needed assistance to the people of Yemen as well as Gaza.”
