The US armed forces announced in the early hours of the morning that they had destroyed nine anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) and two Houthi drones after the Yemeni rebels launched a total of four ASBMs, two in the Red Sea and another two in the Gulf of Aden, without mentioning either injuries, nor damage to merchant ships, or US and international coalition vessels.

The U.S. military “destroyed nine anti-ship ballistic missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles in Houthi-controlled areas,” a statement released by the U.S. military’s joint command center in charge of the Middle East region (CENTCOM, “Central Command “).

Earlier, according to the CENTCOM update released via X (the former Twitter), the Houthis fired missiles in the direction of the Gulf of Aden and in the direction of the Red Sea, without reporting “no injuries or damage.”

For its part, Britain’s Maritime Safety Office (UKMTO) announced that it received information about an “incident” in the sea area 50 nautical miles south-west of the Yemeni port of Hodaida.

A merchant ship reported that two missiles passed over the vessel and “two explosions” were heard in the distance, according to the agency, which said the merchant vessel — which it did not name — was unharmed, no crew members were injured and it was continuing on its way. of.

The Yemeni armed movement Ansar Allah (“Supporters of God”), better known by the family name of its leaders, the Houthis, began in mid-November to launch attacks against merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in a sign of “solidarity ” to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, amid the Israel/Hamas war.

Attacks by the rebels, who control most of northern Yemen, have forced many shipping companies to suspend their ships in the strategically important region, which before the war used to pass 12 percent to 15 percent of world trade. They also heightened concerns that the Israel/Hamas war could lead to a regional flare-up.

Although, to counter the Houthis, the US, Israel’s main ally, formed a multinational coalition in December to “protect” freedom of navigation; although this month the European Union deployed its own naval force, the Shields mission; and Although the American and British armed forces have repeatedly bombarded their positions in Yemeni territory since January, the Houthis – Washington recently added them again to the list of “terrorist” organizations it draws up – are not stopping, on the contrary, they are planning to escalate their attacks , with their leader declaring last night that ships moving in “the Indian Ocean, towards the Cape of Good Hope” will now be targeted.