Middle East
Self-defense strikes take out several Houthi missiles, US military says
Stars and Stripes
February 5, 2024
U.S. sailors man a .50 caliber machine gun as the guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon prepares to transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea Jan. 9, 2024. (Alice Husted/U.S. Navy)
The U.S. military has carried out additional self-defense strikes against Houthi missiles, according to U.S. Central Command.
At about 5:30 a.m. Sunday, CENTCOM forces targeted a land-attack cruise missile, said a command statement that did not provide further details on that strike.
Beginning at 10:30 a.m., U.S. forces struck four anti-ship cruise missiles before they launched against ships in the Rea Sea, the statement said.
“U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region,” the statement said. “These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safter and more secure for U.S. navy vessels and merchant vessels.”