US shoots down two Houthi drones hours after three killed & ship abandoned in first fatal strike by Iran-backed rebels
US has shot down two Houthi drones after three people were killed in the first fatal attack by the Iran-backed rebels.
US Central Command has announced the US Aircraft has blasted the "Suicide" drones in Western Yemen.
Yesterday, the Houthi rebels launched an attack on Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged freighter True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden.
Three seafarers are understood have died and at least four were injured.
Survivors were forced to abandon the vessel in lifeboats, a US official said.
The extent of the damage to the vessel is unclear.
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It is the first fatal attack since the Iran-backed group began strikes against shipping in one of the world's busiest trade lanes.
In retaliation, the US military has conducted self-defence strikes against two Houthi missiles that presented an "imminent threat".
In a post on X today, the US Central Command wrote: "These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels."
The Houthis have been relentlessly attacking ships in the Red Sea since November over the ongoing war in Gaza.
In response, Britain and the United States have been launching strikes against the rebels.
Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed the latest deadly attack in a pre-recorded message and said the rebels' missile fire would only stop when "siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza is lifted".
Several shipping companies have been forced to reroute their vessels passing through the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to take a longer alternative route around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels are terrorising the Red Sea by launching persistent missile and drone attacks on vessels and warships - but who are they?
The Shia militant group, which now controls most of Yemen, spent over a decade being largely ignored by the world.
However, since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war they sprung from relative obscurity to holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage - turning one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone.
Their warped slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam”.
Why are they attacking ships?
The rebel group has been launching relentless drone and missile attacks on any ships - including warships - they deem to be connected with Israel in solidarity with their ally, Hamas.
However, in reality there have been frequent attacks on commercial vessels with little or no link to Israel - forcing global sea traffic to halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices soaring.
The sea assaults have threatened to ignite a full-blown war in the Middle East as intense ripples from Israel's war in Gaza are felt across the region - with Iran suspected of stoking the chaos.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea increased 50 per cent between November and December as the rebel group's chiefs pledged their assaults would continue until Israel stopped its offensive in Gaza.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint US and UK strikes blitzing their strongholds in Yemen - Iran's terror proxy appears undeterred.