MOSCOW, February 28 The United States and the coalition shot down five on February 27 Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles over the Red Sea, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on the social network X.
“»On February 27… US aircraft and a coalition warship shot down five expendable Iranian-backed Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea «CENTCOM said in a statement.
According to the command, these devices were sent from areas of Yemen under the control of the Houthis. As CENTCOM notes, they posed a threat to merchant and coalition ships in the region.
The ruling Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement in northern Yemen, which controls most of Yemen's Red Sea coast, previously warned of its intention to attack any ships associated with Israel, calling on other countries to recall their crews from them and not to approach to them in the sea. A number of shipping companies have decided to suspend transportation through the Red Sea.
The Houthis have said their actions in the Red Sea are aimed at helping Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and they have argued that they are not interfering with freedom of navigation in the region. Arab and Muslim countries have repeatedly warned the United States that unconditional support for Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip will lead to the spread of the conflict throughout the region.
The US and UK have been striking Houthi targets since mid-January, calling it a response to a threat to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of Ansar Allah's supreme political council, called the strikes terrorist barbarity and deliberate and unjustified aggression.