US CENTCOM claims destroying four Yemeni sea drones in Red Sea

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
22 Jul 2024 06:59

The US CENTCOM states that the Yemeni sea drones presented an "imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region."

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This handout picture courtesy of the US Navy taken on October 19, 2023, shows the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) targeting a combination of missiles and drones launched by the Yemeni Armed Forces in the Red Sea. (AFP)

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed on early Monday that its forces destroyed four uncrewed surface vessels (USV) launched by the Yemeni Armed Forces.

In a statement, CENTCOM said that sea drones were intercepted in the Red Sea.

"It was determined the USVs presented an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region," the statement read.

Directly following the Israeli war on Gaza launched last October, Yemen announced initiating operations in support of the Strip, including a naval blockade on the occupation entity and strikes targeting its vital facilities.

The United States formed a sea military coalition to protect "Israel" from the Yemeni attacks and prevent the blockade but later declared that it had failed its mission.

Earlier this week, as part of its operations to force the occupation to end its genocide in Gaza, Yemen launched an unprecedented drone strike targeting Tel Aviv. The drone, called Yafa, successfully bypassed all Israeli air defense and detection systems, and struck a high-rise building in Tel Aviv meters away from the US consulate, leaving the entity in a state of shock.

Israeli war jets launched a series of airstrikes on Saturday targeting Yemen's province of Hodeidah on the Red Sea coast.

The aggression targeted the civilian Hodeidah port and the Ras al-Kathib power station, leading to a massive fire that can be seen kilometers away, and resulting in the martyrdom and wounding of dozens of the facility's employees.

Shortly after the aggression, the Yemeni Armed Forces reiterated that occupied Yafa (Tel Aviv) is an unsafe zone and that a response is undoubtedly coming.

In a televised statement, spokesperson General Yahya Saree said that the armed forces "will not hesitate" to strike vital Israeli targets in the occupation entity and that operations in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza will not stop regardless of the consequences.

The Yemeni people "are preparing for a long war with this enemy ["Israel"] until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted and the crimes committed by the Israeli enemy against the Palestinian people in Gaza are over."

Since then, the Israeli occupation entity has been on high alert awaiting Yemen's retaliation.