US conducts third attack on Houthi missile sites in Yemen

Tom Vanden Brook and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. military launched its third strike Tuesday against Houthi militants in Yemen, destroying four anti-ship ballistic missiles prepared to launch at ships in the Red Sea, according to U.S. Central Command.

The U.S., along with Great Britain, had attacked dozens of missile and radar sites used by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen since Thursday.

Tuesday’s strikes followed the second successful Houthi attack on commercial shipping in two days. On Tuesday, a Houthi anti-ship missile struck the M/V Zografia, a Maltese flagged bulk carrier. No injuries reported, and the ship continued it route through the Red Sea, according to Central Command.

The Biden administration defended moving ahead with strikes last week on Houthi targets even though the actions have not deterred Houthi militants from conducting more attacks in the Red Sea.

More: US strikes Houthi rebels in joint Yemen bombing with UK. How close are we to all-out war?

Houthi supporters attend a protest against the United States-led airstrikes on Friday, Jan 12, 2024, in Sanaa, Yemen.
Houthi supporters attend a protest against the United States-led airstrikes on Friday, Jan 12, 2024, in Sanaa, Yemen.

John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, said the U.S. “fully anticipated” the additional Houthi attacks and said they have been significantly smaller in scale.

“We believe that we did have a good effect with those strikes in terms of disrupting and degrading their capability to conduct military offensive operations,” Kirby said.

The Houthis have conducted about 30 attacks aimed at commercial and military ships in the Red Sea since November. They maintain the attacks are in response to Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

Kirby would not say whether the latest strikes by the U.S.-led coalition signal more strikes to come against the Houthis.

"We're not looking for a war. We're not looking to expand this," Kirby said. "The Houthis have a choice to make, and they still have time to make the right choice, which is to stop these reckless attacks."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US attacks Houthi missiles Yemen