CENTCOM says Houthis fired ballistic missile at US warship in Red Sea

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Wednesday that Yemen’s Houthi group fired a close-range ballistic missile from areas it controls in Yemen toward the destroyer USS Laboon in the Red Sea.

“United States Central Command and a coalition vessel successfully engaged and destroyed two unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The vessel was not impacted by the missile and no injuries or damage were reported, according to CENTCOM.

Yemen’s Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7 last year.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have killed around 31,200 Palestinians and injured over 72,900 others since an Oct. 7 cross-border offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people.

The US and UK launched airstrikes as of Jan. 12 against Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation for the group’s attacks, with the Houthis declaring that they consider all American and British ships military targets.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments, and the attacks on shipping have disrupted trade, raising fears of a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption.