US: 2 ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled area of Yemen toward international shipping lanes

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - A pair of ballistic missiles were fired Friday from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen toward international shipping lanes in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to the US military.

"One of these missiles struck the Liberian flagged MV PALATIUM 3, which broadcast a mayday call and reported that the vessel was on fire," US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.

The USS Mason destroyer responded to the mayday call, it said.

"The other missile likely missed any ships. No injuries have been reported by any of the three ships attacked, but this latest round of attacks is yet another demonstration of the great risk to international shipping caused by these Houthi actions," it stressed.

CENTCOM said early Friday that an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle launched from Houthi-held territory struck the Liberian-flagged Motor Vessel AL JASRAH as it traveled south in the Red Sea.

The fire caused by the attack was extinguished, it said.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday that commercial traffic transit in the Red Sea is "more dangerous" now than before and the White House will have "more to say" about the details of a maritime task force in the coming days.

A Houthi spokesman said previously that the group would target all ships headed to Israel, regardless of nationality, and warned all shipping companies to avoid dealing with Israeli ports.

The group’s operations against vessels coincide with Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas.