Yemeni military fires missiles and drones at US ship in Red Sea
Yemen's military said it fired a barrage of rockets, drones and cruise missiles at a US ship in the Red Sea in a preliminary response to a recent deadly attack by the US Navy that sank three boats and killed several Yemeni forces.
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sarei said in a statement on Wednesday that Yemeni naval, missile and drone units participated in this joint operation. He stressed that the targeted US ship was providing support to Israel during its war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Sarei underlined that "the Yemeni forces will not hesitate to exercise their legitimate right to defend their homeland and nation and proportionately respond to all possible threats and hostile movements." He noted that Yemeni forces will continue to block the passage of Israeli and Israeli-bound ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the bloody attack against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is stopped and the blockade of the Palestinian coastal territory is lifted. The Yemeni Armed Forces will continue to allow all international shipping companies to sail their ships in the waters of both seas, with the exception of ships destined for ports in Israeli-occupied territories, Sarei noted. Earlier on Wednesday, the US military said US and British forces had shot down 18 drones and three missiles fired by Yemeni forces at ships in the Red Sea. It was the largest attack to date by Yemeni forces in the Red Sea, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement.
