US says it has destroyed dozens of Houthi missiles, facilities

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US said Tuesday that allied strikes on Houthi military infrastructure has destroyed dozens of the group's missiles and missile launchers.

Allied strikes against the Houthis intended to prevent the rebel group from attacking ships in the Red Sea have been ongoing since Jan. 11. The strikes have resulted in more than 25 missile launch and deployment sites, and over 20 missiles, being destroyed, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters.

Drones, coastal radar, and air surveillance sites have also been hit "with good effect," Ryder said.

US Central Command is continuing to develop a formal post-strike assessment for the multiple waves of strikes that have occurred over the past two weeks.

Ryder declined to provide a general overview of how much of the Houthis' military capabilities have been destroyed, but said the degradation has been "fairly significant."

"We have been very focused on targeting the kinds of things that they've been employing, or using, to conduct attacks against international shipping and mariners, and that will continue to be our focus," he said.

Tensions have escalated in the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships that the rebels say are suspected of having links with Israel.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments. It is used to transit between Egypt's Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden, allowing ships to avoid the much costlier and longer route across the southern coast of Africa.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 25,500 people since an Oct. 7 cross-border offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas. Over 1,200 people are believed to have died in the attack.

Ryder said the US has not detected any Houthi attacks in the Red Sea since Jan. 18, but said the US has "taken several self-defense strikes when there was an imminent threat or an anticipated launch."