The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Friday a coordinated attack by its naval, missile, and drone units against US warships in the Red Sea, including a direct engagement with the USS Harry S. Truman, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.

In a statement, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said the operation involved a number of cruise missiles and drones and marked the second confrontation within 24 hours. "The engagement lasted several hours and successfully thwarted two aerial attacks the enemy was preparing to carry out against our country," he said.

Saree described the operation as a "qualitative and joint military action" that struck the Truman and its accompanying warships in the northern Red Sea. He confirmed that the operation achieved its objectives and that the Yemeni forces are prepared to face any further escalation.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces are confronting the American aggression on Yemen and preparing for all possible developments," Saree said. "The aggressor will soon learn that the great nation of Yemen cannot be broken or forced into submission. We will never abandon our religious, moral, and humanitarian responsibilities toward the oppressed Palestinian people, no matter the consequences."

Yemen responds to US aggression

The statement follows Thursday's announcement by Yemeni forces that they had responded to a wave of 36 American airstrikes targeting several provinces, including Sanaa and Saada, resulting in martyrs and injuries.

On Friday, US-led coalition aircraft launched two airstrikes on the Kahlan area, east of Saada city, north of Yemen, Yemeni Al Masirah TV reported.

Saree emphasized that Yemeni forces will continue targeting all US warships and sources of threat within the declared zone of operations and will not be deterred by ongoing strikes from fulfilling their duty to the Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, the leader of Ansar Allah, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned of growing US-Israeli aggression across the region. "The enemy seeks to eliminate the Palestinian cause with full American support," he said in a televised address Friday.

Sayyed Al-Houthi accused the Israeli regime of escalating violations in Lebanon, including air raids reaching as far as Beirut, and of continuing its bombardment of Damascus and other Syrian provinces. He also condemned US activity in the Damascus countryside, noting that it is occurring with the backing of local militias.

Mobilization for Gaza

He called on global activists, particularly in the US and Europe, to mobilize against the atrocities in Gaza. "What is happening in Gaza should not become a routine spectacle. Arab silence in the face of this is a betrayal of every moral, legal, and human principle," he said.

Al-Houthi stressed that the American assault on Yemen is inseparable from the broader regional war. "This aggression is part of the same battle against the Israeli enemy. The US wants the entire region to submit to Israeli dominance," he stated.

He revealed that the Yemeni military had successfully downed 17 US MQ-9 drones since the start of Operation al-Aqsa Flood, calling it an "unprecedented achievement."

"The US turned its firepower on Yemen because it is complicit in the Israeli war against the Palestinian people," al-Houthi concluded.

Dozens killed in US aggression

Yemeni Health Ministry spokesperson Anis al-Asbahi announced on Thursday that at least 92 civilians have been killed and 165 others wounded in US airstrikes on Yemen since mid-March.

Earlier in the day, Al-Asbahi reported that five civilians were killed, five others injured, and one person was missing following the latest US strikes within the past 24 hours. He emphasized that Yemenis are aware of the challenges they face and remain prepared to confront them.

Since the start of Yemen’s military operations in support of Gaza in November 2023, the US-British-Israeli aggression has resulted in 964 civilian casualties, including 250 deaths, according to the Health Ministry. The latest figures account for casualties recorded up to April 1.

US airstrikes continue to target Yemeni provinces and cities, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis in the country.