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Yemen’s Houthi rebel group targets US destroyers in Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi rebel group targets US destroyers in Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi rebel group targets US war destroyers in Red Sea (File pic)

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebel group on Saturday (March 9) said that it targeted bulk carrier Propel Fortune in the Gulf of Aden.

“The naval forces and the air force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out two specific military operations. The first operation targeted the American ship “Propel Fortune” in the Gulf of Aden with a number of suitable naval missiles," the group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech.

"The second operation targeted a number of American war destroyers inthe Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with 37 drones, and the two operations successfully achieved their goals,” Sarea added.

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The Houthi rebels have been launching attacks against ships in the Red Sea since November. The group dubs the attacks as a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and militant group Hamas.

US Navy shoots down 15 UAVs in Red Sea area

Meanwhile, the US Navy ships and aircraft downed 15 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea area, said US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The military was responding to a large-scale attack launched by the "Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists" into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between 4 am and 6:30 am (1300-1530 GMT).

The UAVs were determined to present "an imminent threat to merchant vessels, U.S. Navy, and coalition ships in the region," it said.

Houthi attack on commercial ship near Yemen kills 3

A missile from Yemen on Wednesday hit a bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden which killed three people and injured four others.

The incident marked the first time when fatalities due to Houthi attacks in either the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden claimed lives.

The ship that came under attack was identified as Barbados-flagged True Confidence. It was hit in the Gulf of Aden at about 11:30 (GMT), according to the US military. The ship was abandoned and had been drifting with a fire on board after the strike.

"These reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade and taken the lives of international seafarers," US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in West Asia.

(With inputs from agencies)