The US armed forces announced in the early hours of the morning that yesterday Thursday they destroyed two high-speed patrol boats and a remote-controlled unmanned surface vessel (USV) in Red Searemotely piloted unmanned aerial system (UAS) over the Red Sea, as well as an “air defense” system “sensor” in rebel-held territory Houthi in Yemen.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian-owned Palau-flagged merchant ship Verbena, operated by a Polish shipping company, was hit “for the second time in 24 hours” by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) while in the Gulf of Aden, X reported via the joint command of the US armed forces responsible for the Middle East (CENTCOM, “Central Command”).

The ship had already been hit by two Houthi ASBMs, causing damage and fires, CENTCOM said yesterday, noting that a helicopter rescued by the US Navy, USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), picked up a “severely injured” sailor. , a member of his crew, and was transferred to an “allied ship” for medical attention. Neither his nationality nor the seriousness of his condition were specified.

The Houthis, for their part, last night claimed responsibility for three attacks against merchant ships in the last 24 hours: in addition to the missile attack on the Verbena in the Gulf of Aden, they targeted the ships SeaGuardian and Athina in the Red Sea, a spokesman for the movement for military affairs, Yahya Sharia.

In power in most of Yemen’s war-torn north, including the capital Sanaa – which they seized in 2014 – the Iran-allied rebels say they are acting in “solidarity” with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a war against Hamas following the Palestinian Islamist movement’s unprecedented attack on southern sectors of Israeli territory on October 7.

Since November, they have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks against ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, causing serious disruption to global seaborne trade in this strategically important region. They sank one ship, captured a second, killed three sailors in some of their actions.

The US, Israel’s main international ally, in December formed an international force to protect navigation in this maritime area. Another naval force, named Shields, was also developed this year by the EU.

And since January, the US armed forces, acting in several cases in cooperation with those of Britain, have hit Houthi positions and facilities in Yemen.