US carries out ‘self-defence strikes’ against Houthi targets in Yemen, says CENTCOM

Washington, US - The US on Saturday carried out ‘self-defence strikes’ against Houthi targets in Yemen, the US Central Command ( CENTCOM) announced on Sunday.

“On Feb. 10, between 4 – 5 p.m., (Sanaa time) (13001400GMT), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully conducted self-defence strikes against two unmanned surface vessels (USV) and three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) north of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea,” CENTCOM said on X. The CENTCOM said it determined the targets presented an ‘imminent threat’ to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.

“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels,” it added.

Yemen’s Houthi group has targeted vessels in the southern Red Sea, warning that it will attack all Israeli-bound ships. It said the attacks are meant to support Palestinians as they face Israel’s ‘aggression and siege’ in Gaza. The Red Sea is one of the world’s most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin recently announced the creation of a multinational mission - Operation Prosperity Guardian - to counter the Houthi attacks.

Houthis to expand operations

Meanwhile, the Houthi group has vowed to expand its operations against Israel if it escalates the war in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

“We say to the Israeli entity that if there is any escalation in Rafah or Gaza, you should know that our path is escalation,” Mohammed Ali Al-houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council of the Houthis, said in a statement late on Saturday.

He added that ‘as long as the human tragedy in Gaza worsens, and the injustice and mass killing of people in Gaza continues, operations will expand according to field data’.

On Saturday, Houthi group announced that 17 of its fighters were killed in airstrikes carried out by the US and UK on Yemen.

The Saba news agency, affiliated with the Houthis, said: “Today (Saturday), in a dignified funeral procession, the bodies of several martyrs of the nation, armed forces, and security forces who were martyred in the American-british aggression airstrikes, were mourned.”

This is the second time that the group has announced fatalities among its members due to US and UK airstrikes.

The first time was on the day the US and UK began airstrikes on Yemen on January 12, when Houthis announced that five of its fighters were killed and six others injured.

Yemen’s Houthi group has targeted vessels in the southern Red Sea, warning that it will attack all Israeli-bound ships. It said the attacks are meant to support Palestinians as they face Israel’s ‘aggression and siege’ in Gaza