Washington: Amid the escalating tensions in the Red Sea, the US Central Command has said that US aircraft and a coalition warship shot down five Iranian-backed Houthi one-way attack (OWA) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the Red Sea on Tuesday between 9:50 pm (Sanaa time) to 10:55 pm (Sanaa time).

According to US Central Command, the forces identified these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they posed an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the US Navy and coalition ships in the region. The US Central Command noted that these actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safe and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels.

In a post on X, US Central Command Forces stated, "On Feb. 27, between the hours of 9:50p.m. and 10:55 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. aircraft and a coalition warship shot down five Iranian-backed Houthi one-way attack (OWA) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the Red Sea."

"CENTCOM forces identified these UAVs originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region. These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels," it added.

On Tuesday, US Central Command said that it has destroyed three unmanned surface vessels (USV), two mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM), and a one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in self-defence.

It said that these actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels. The US Central Command said that the USV and ASCM weapons were prepared to launch towards and the UAV was over the Red Sea and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region.

In a post on X, US Central Command stated, "On Feb. 26, between the hours of 4:45 p.m. and 11:45a p.m. (Sanaa time), US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces destroyed three unmanned surface vessels (USV), two mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM), and a one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in self-defense."

"The USV and ASCM weapons were prepared to launch towards, and the UAV was over, the Red Sea. CENTCOM forces identified the USVs and missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, as well as the UAV over the Red Sea, and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the US Navy ships in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels," it added.

Last week, US forces and the United Kingdom Armed Forces, with the support of several other countries, conducted strikes against 18 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen, according to the US Central Command. The joint strikes, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, were conducted on Saturday at 11:50 pm.

"On Feb. 24, at approximately 11:50 p.m. (Sanaa Yemen time), U.S. Central Command forces alongside UK Armed Forces, and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted strikes against 18 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen," US Central Command posted on X.

The strikes targeted areas used by the Houthis to attack international merchant vessels and naval ships in the region. For months, illegal Houthi attacks have been disrupting aid bound for Yemen, harming Middle Eastern economies, and causing environmental damage.

"The targets included Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defence systems, radars, and a helicopter," the post stated. Moreover, these strikes are intended to degrade Houthi's capability and disrupt their continued reckless and unlawful attacks on international commercial and US and UK vessels in the Red Sea, Bab AI-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.

According to US Central Command, the goal of this multi-national effort is to defend their own countries, their partners, and allies in the region and restore freedom of navigation by destroying Houthi capabilities used to threaten US and partner forces in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways.

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