The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced today, Friday, that it "conducted several strikes against cruise missiles and drones belonging to the Yemeni group 'Ansar Allah'," noting that it "was prepared to launch towards the Red Sea." CENTCOM stated in its statement: "On February 29, between 6:00 PM and 7:15 PM (Sana'a time), U.S. Central Command forces executed two defensive strikes against six mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea."
The statement added, "At approximately 5:10 PM (Sana'a time), U.S. Central Command forces shot down a drone over the southern Red Sea, in self-defense." It continued, "CENTCOM determined that the missiles and drones pose an imminent threat to commercial vessels and U.S. naval ships in the region. These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for the U.S. Navy and commercial vessels."
Earlier, the leader of the Yemeni 'Ansar Allah' group, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, threatened the United States and Britain with "unexpected surprises," stating that they "will be very surprising and beyond what the enemy and friend expect. They will be effective and impactful." He revealed that his forces had "targeted 54 ships in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden" since the start of Operation "Al-Aqsa Flood" last October, stressing the continuation of his group's attacks against vessels linked to Israel and U.S. and British ships.
The United States and Britain began a large-scale assault on 'Ansar Allah' positions in several Yemeni cities on January 12, in response to the group's attacks in the Red and Arabian Seas, claiming they target vessels linked to Israel or heading to its ports, in addition to U.S. and British ships. The 'Ansar Allah' group announced on October 10 that it would support Palestinian factions in confronting the Israeli military in Gaza with missile and aerial attacks and "other military options" if the United States intervenes militarily directly in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the region.
