Pentagon: US Army shoots down drones and missiles fired by Houthi militia
The Iran-backed Houthi militia had previously stated that it had attacked a merchant ship in the Red Sea and used a number of drones "against military targets" in southern Israel.
Since the start of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of October, the Houthi militia has repeatedly attacked ships off the coast of Yemen. According to the US Department of Defense, the Hamas-aligned rebels have attacked a total of ten merchant ships with drones and missiles.
The Red Sea is a central trade route through which up to twelve percent of global trade passes. Yemen is located on the Bab-al-Mandeb strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Due to the wave of Houthi attacks on container ships, several shipping companies are now avoiding sailing through the strait. To protect merchant shipping, the USA announced the formation of an international military coalition a few days ago.
The Houthi see themselves as part of the self-proclaimed "Axis of Resistance" against Israel. In addition to Hamas, this also includes the Shiite Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
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- The Houthi militia, supported by Iran, claimed responsibility for using drones to strike military targets in southern Israel, which is a regular occurrence according to Israeli officials.
- Since the US Army has been shooting down drones and missiles fired by the Houthi militia from Yemen, tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated further.
- The Pentagon confirmed that a drone launched from Yemen had been intercepted by the US Army over southern Israel, adding to concerns about the Houthi's increasing use of drones and missiles.
- The Houthi militia's actions in Yemen have also affected the region's shipping industry, with Hamas-affiliated rebels having fired multiple rockets from the Gaza Strip towards ships in the Red Sea.
- The US Department of Defense has accused the Houthi militia of collaborating with Hamas to launch drone and missile attacks against Israeli targets, as well as on merchant ships passing through the Red Sea.
- In response to the increasing number of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the United States Central Command announced it would be deploying additional drones and missile defense systems in the region.
- The formation of an international military coalition by the United States to protect merchant ships from Houthi attacks has sparked concerns among regional powers, including Israel, who fear the potential escalation of the conflict.
- Iran has been accused of providing the Houthi militia with military aid, including drones and missiles, which they have used to launch attacks against ships in the Red Sea and strike military targets in Israel.
- The US Army has intercepted several drones and missiles launched by the Houthi militia from Yemen, with the Pentagon stating that the attacks were a threat to civilian shipping and international transportation.
- Following the Pentagon's announcement that the US Army had shot down a drone fired by the Houthi militia from southern Yemen, Hamas threatened to retaliate against Israeli targets with rocket fire.
Source: www.stern.de
