The US military launched strikes in Houthi-controlled Yemen on February 1 that destroyed a drone ground control station and ten one-way attack drones, UPI reported.
According to a press release from US Central Command (CENTCOM), at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time, US forces launched strikes against a UAV ground control station in Houthi-controlled Yemen after identifying locations determined to be an “imminent threat” to commercial vessels and Navy ships in the region.
The strikes destroyed the ground control station along with ten one-way attack drones.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have vowed to continue attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea until Israel ceases military operations against Hamas in Gaza.
US forces have been attempting to take out the Houthis drone and missile capabilities on the ground as they are preparing to launch rather than simply firing on missiles and drones after they have been launched at commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The February 1 strike was just one of more than a dozen US forces have conducted against the Houthis since January 11 to deter the Iranian-backed rebels from conducting attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
Just hours before the attack on the ground control station, CENTCOM reported that Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship ballistic missile toward the Gulf of Aden that was successfully shot down by the Navy destroyer USS Carney. Less than an hour later, the Carney shot down three Iranian attack drones in the vicinity. No vessels were damaged and no injuries were reported.
Since November, the Houthi rebels have launched over 30 attacks on commercial vessels in the region, one of which was hijacked and its crew members taken hostage.
The constant attacks have prompted around 15 commercial shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea, a route through which about 10 to 15 percent of the world’s trade travels.
