Houthi missile fired at American destroyer shot down, says US
US fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a US destroyer operating in the southern Red Sea, the US military said on Sunday.
The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under siege from Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reports.
It follows a series of American and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that have drawn threats of a “strong” response from the Iran-backed militia, adding to anxieties over a wider conflict in the Middle East beyond Gaza.
There were no injuries or damage reported in the latest incident, according to the US Central Command (Centcom), which released the news in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
Centcom said the missile was shot down near Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah.
Earlier on Sunday, the Houthis complained that US aircraft were observed flying close to Yemeni airspace and coastal areas.
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam described the activity by “enemy” aircraft as a blatant violation of national sovereignty.
Reuters could not immediately determine whether the incidents were one and the same. Centcom did not immediately respond to a request for further details about the interception.
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“Let’s wait and see what happens, because it’s not that we want to be involved in action in the Red Sea. But ultimately freedom of navigation is an international right,” Shapps told Sky News, when asked if Britain would carry out more strikes.
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The British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, will address members of the UK parliament on Monday for the first time since the UK and US carried out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
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Sunak authorised the missile attacks without consulting parliament, which he is authorised to do, however convention usually means that British politicians are given the chance to discuss military action in advance.
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After the strikes, Sunak said the Houthis had been “risking lives at sea” and were “causing major disruption to a vital trade route”. He also called the strikes “limited” but “necessary” to protect commercial shipping and lives.
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The pro-Hamas Houthis have said they are targeting ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea despite some…
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