The US military carried out five self-defense strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on February 17 to protect against the Ansar Allah movement and detected the first deployment of an unmanned underwater vessel by the Houthis, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday.
"Between the hours of 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm (Sanaa time) [12:00 to 17:00 GMT], Feb. 17, CENTCOM successfully conducted five self-defense strikes against three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV), and one unmanned surface vessel (USV) in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. This is the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV since attacks began in Oct. 23," CENTCOM said.
The detected anti-ship cruise missiles, unmanned underwater vessel, and the unmanned surface vessel in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen "presented an imminent threat" to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region, CENTCOM added.
The Ansar Allah movement, which controls much of Yemen's Red Sea coast, has previously warned of its intention to attack any ships linked to Israel, calling on other countries to recall their crews and stay away from them at sea. A number of shipping companies have decided to suspend traffic through the Red Sea.
The Houthis have previously said that their actions in the Red Sea are aimed at helping the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying that they do not interfere with freedom of navigation in the region.