On Sunday morning, U.S. Central Command announced that a drone launched from an area controlled by the Houthis in Yemen towards the Gulf of Aden on Friday was dealt with. Furthermore, three drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen towards the Red Sea were destroyed on Saturday morning. The command noted that there were no reports from the U.S. coalition or commercial vessels regarding injuries or damage.
Central Command's statement read: "Around 8:45 PM (Sana'a time) on May 10, Iranian-backed Houthis launched an unmanned aerial system over the Gulf of Aden from areas they control in Yemen. A coalition aircraft successfully engaged the drones, with no reports of injuries or damage from U.S. ships, the coalition, or commercial vessels."
The statement continued: "Later, between approximately 4:30 AM and 4:45 AM (Sana'a time) on May 11, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed three drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthis over the Red Sea from areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen. Again, there were no reports of injuries or damage from U.S. ships, the coalition, or commercial vessels."
It was determined that these drones posed an imminent threat to both coalition forces and commercial vessels in the region. These actions are being taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for U.S., coalition, and commercial ships.
The Houthi group, which controls the most populous areas of Yemen, has been attacking ships in the waters off the country for several months in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, according to their statements. These attacks have forced commercial companies to reroute, opting for a longer and more costly path around Africa.
