Current:Home > FinanceU.S. forces, allies shoot down more than 2 dozen Houthi drones in Red Sea -Capitatum
U.S. forces, allies shoot down more than 2 dozen Houthi drones in Red Sea
View
Date:2025-04-17 02:24:44
The U.S. military and its allies shot down a flurry of at least 28 drones in the Red Sea fired by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen early Saturday, the Pentagon said.
The drones were fired over an approximately four-hour period from about 4 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. local time, U.S. Central Command reported on social media.
There were no reports of commercial or naval vessels damaged in the assault, CENTCOM said.
U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps posted video to social media early Saturday showing what he said was the British warship HMS Richmond using missiles to shoot down two Houthi drones.
"The UK and our allies will continue to take the action necessary to save lives and protect freedom of navigation," Shapps wrote.
Houthi militants, who occupy vast swaths of Yemen, have since November launched dozens of attacks on ships in the Red Sea in a show of solidarity with the militant group Hamas in its war with Israel. The attacks have significantly disrupted international shipping routes.
A Houthi attack Wednesday killed at least three members of the crew on the Liberian-owned commercial ship True Confidence, according to defense officials, marking the first fatalities from one of the Houthi attacks since they started in November.
And last weekend, a British owned-ship which had been struck by a Houthi missile in February sank in the Red Sea, making it the first vessel to be destroyed by the Houthis since they began their attacks. The ship's sinking was also believed to have severed three undersea telecommunication cables.
In response, the U.S. and U.K., with the support of coalition forces, have launched four rounds of airstrikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen dating back to mid-January.
The Biden administration earlier this year declared the Houthis to be a "specially designated global terrorist group," reversing part of an earlier decision by the U.S. State Department in February 2021 that removed that designation.
-- Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.
- In:
- Pentagon
- Red Sea
- Houthi Movement
- Defense Department
Faris Tanyos is a news editor for CBSNews.com, where he writes and edits stories and tracks breaking news. He previously worked as a digital news producer at several local news stations up and down the West Coast.
veryGood! (4661)
Related
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- 'It was really surreal': North Carolina residents watched floods lift cars, buildings
- Here’s how Helene and other storms dumped a whopping 40 trillion gallons of rain on the South
- Hall of Fame center Dikembe Mutombo dies of brain cancer at 58
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- MLB power rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers take scenic route to No. 1 spot before playoffs
- Gavin Creel, Tony-winning Broadway star, dies at 48
- Arkansas sues YouTube over claims that the site is fueling a mental health crisis
- Southern California rocked by series of earthquakes: Is a bigger one brewing?
- Gavin Creel, Tony-winning Broadway star, dies at 48
Ranking
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Harris, Trump shift plans after Hurricane Helene’s destruction
- Gavin Creel, Tony Award-Winning Actor, Dead at 48 After Battle With Rare Cancer
- Dikembe Mutombo, NBA Center Legend, Dead at 58 After Cancer Battle
- Jury finds man guilty of sending 17-year-old son to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock
- DirecTV to acquire Dish Network, Sling for $1 in huge pay-TV merger
- Madelyn Cline Briefly Addresses Relationships With Pete Davidson and Chase Stokes
- Atlanta Braves and New York Mets players celebrate clinching playoff spots together
Recommendation
Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
The stock market's as strong as it's ever been, but there's a catch
Rebel Wilson and Ramona Agruma marry in Italy
Opinion: Child care costs widened the pay gap. Women in their 30s are taking the hit.
What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
MLB Legend Pete Rose Dead at 83
'Baby Reindeer' had 'major' differences with real-life story, judge says
Donald Trump suggests ‘one rough hour’ of policing will end theft