US conducts strike against Houthi radar site in Yemen

WASHINGTON (AA) – The US conducted a strike Saturday against a Houthi radar site in Yemen, according to the American military.

“At 3:45 a.m. (Sana’a time) on Jan 13., U.S. forces conducted a strike against a Houthi radar site in Yemen.

“This strike was conducted by the USS Carney (DDG 64) using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and was a follow-on action on a specific military target associated with strikes taken on Jan. 12 designed to degrade the Houthi’s ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.

Since Nov. 19, Iranian-backed Houthi militants have attempted to attack and harass vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden 28 times, it added.

“These illegal incidents include attacks that have employed anti-ship ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles.

“These strikes have no association with and are separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian, a defensive coalition of over 20 countries operating in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden,” said CENTCOM.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced last month the creation of a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter Houthi attacks.

The US and the UK, with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, conducted airstrikes Thursday against military targets in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

The Biden administration has said the strikes were “defensive” in nature, and were intended to erode the Houthis’ ability to strike vessels in the Red Sea, which is one of the world’s most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

Houthis have been attacking Israel-bound ships to support people of Gaza where Israel has killed more than 23,000 people since October 7.