American Forces Strike 10 Terrorist Drones In Yemen
The U.S. continued to carry out strikes against Iran-backed forces in Yemen Thursday as the military destroyed 10 terrorist drones marked for American targets.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the successful preemptive attacks separately from another incident late Wednesday night. American forces shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile along with three drones launched by Houthi rebels.
The statement read: “U.S. forces identified the UAV ground control station and one-way attack UAVs in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region.”
CENTCOM added that the military destroyed the control station and 10 drones in a defensive maneuver.
CBS News Managing Editor Norah O’Donnell posted on X, formerly Twitter, that a senior defense official confirmed the U.S. destruction of the rebel targets. F-18 Super Hornets “bombed 10 unmanned drones in western Yemen that were preparing to launch.”
This action followed a near-incident Tuesday in the Red Sea.
According to CNN, the U.S.S. Gravely was almost struck by a Houthi cruise missile. It came within a mile of the American vessel before it was shot down by the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System — a radar-guided 20 millimeter gun weapon system.
The outlet reported the proximity of the interception was unusual. “In the past, these missiles had been intercepted by U.S. destroyers in the area at a range of eight miles or more.”
The Gravely instead had to rely on the Close-In System, the first time U.S. forces used this technology since the Houthi attacks began late last year.
The news is unnerving to say the least. Cruise missiles travel at hundreds of miles per hour, meaning that this particular strike was within seconds of potentially causing major damage and even loss of life to the Gravely.
Houthi rebels are funded and supplied by Iran. They claim to carry out attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on behalf of Palestinians bearing the brunt of Israel’s incursion into Gaza.
That, of course, followed the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Jewish state. Houthi leaders ignore the act that began the conflict and instead condemn Israel for its wholly justified retaliation.
