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The US announces that it has shot down 15 drones over the Red Sea

2024-03-09 11:34:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The US announces that it has shot down 15 drones over the Red Sea

US and allied forces have shot down 15 drones launched by Yemen's Houthi rebel movement in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the US military said on March 9.

The 15-drone attack was one of the Houthis' biggest since November when the rebels began targeting ships with missiles and drones in the Red Sea area, a key route for world trade.

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, say they carry out attacks in solidarity with Palestinians after launching a war with Israel and Hamas - the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union - in the Gaza Strip.

The US Central Command, known as CENTCOM, said the Houthi attack occurred shortly before dawn in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Adam.

CENTCOM and coalition forces assessed that the drones "presented an immediate threat to merchant shipping, US Navy and coalition ships in the region."

The announcement said that "US Navy ships, along with aircraft and several coalition naval ships and aircraft shot down 15" drones.

"These actions were taken to preserve freedom of navigation and make international waters safer."

On January 9, US and British forces shot down 18 drones and three missiles that were fired by rebels at ships in the Red Sea, the US military announced.

In December, the US announced a maritime security initiative to protect ships in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks. Attacks by Yemeni rebels have forced commercial ships to alter their routes to avoid the Red Sea, where 12 percent of global trade passes.

Since January, the U.S. and Britain have carried out repeated strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the attacks on the ships. However, the rebels have continued to attack commercial ships and have also targeted American and British ships./REL





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