U.S. forces destroy three Houthi drones over Red Sea

Mark Moran & Darryl Coote
·3 min read
A photo made available by the Houthis on January 13, 2024 shows a projectile being launched during a military exercise near the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border at Al-Baqaa area in the northern province of Saada, Yemen. U/.S. forces took down three Houthi drones in the region Thursday, the U.S. Central Command said. EPA-EFE/HOUTHIS MEDIA CENTER HANDOUT
A photo made available by the Houthis on January 13, 2024 shows a projectile being launched during a military exercise near the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border at Al-Baqaa area in the northern province of Saada, Yemen. U/.S. forces took down three Houthi drones in the region Thursday, the U.S. Central Command said. EPA-EFE/HOUTHIS MEDIA CENTER HANDOUT

May 3 (UPI) -- U.S. military forces destroyed three uncrewed aerial systems in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, the U.S. Central Command said Thursday, as the Iran-backed militia continues its attacks on commercial and military vessels transiting the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas war.

CENTCOM said in a statement that the systems "presented an imminent an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region."

"These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition and merchant vessels," the CENTCOM said.

The incident occurred about 2 p.m. local time.

Israel and Iran have for years been in a proxy conflict that exploded into the open on Oct. 7 when Hamas, another Tehran-backed militia, attacked Israel.

U.S. Navy SEALs operating from the USS LEWIS B PULLER (ESB 3) conducted a night-time seizure on Thursday, January 11, 2024, of a dhow illegally transporting advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi (Ansar Allah) forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis' ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping. U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces intercepted three uncrewed drones in the region Thursday. Photo via U.S. Central Command/UPI

Emboldened by the war, Houthis have been attacking commercial as well as U.S. and British military vessels in the all-important trade route of the Red Sea, stating the strikes are in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The Biden administration has tried to walk the line of protecting the seaway while defending its self and allies without escalating the Middle Eastern conflict, and has taken to patrolling the channel, along with other allies, shooting down launched Houthi missiles and drones while attacking sites in Yemen where military equipment is deemed to be a threat.

It has also turned sanctions in an effort to financially cut off the militia's revenue sources funding its war-making capabilities.

Since its first attack on Nov. 19, the Houthis have launched some 100 strikes, and at least 53 attacks on commercial vessels and one seizure, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administraiton.

On April 26, CENTCOM said the British-owned and Panama-flagged Andromeda Star, was hit by a Houthi strike but only suffered minor damage.

Tuesday was the most recent CENTCOM strike into Yemen, destroying a maritime drone.

The Houthis were formed in northern Yemen in 2004, espousing anti-U.S. and anti-Zionist beliefs, with Iran providing it arrange of materials, including advisory support, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.