Forces loyal to the Huthi rebels in Yemen participate in a military parade on the occasion of the 34th National Day to commemorate Yemeni unity, in Sanaa, on May 22, 2024. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)
TNS
The Houthis said they attacked a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Red Sea in response to deadly American and British airstrikes on their positions in Yemen on Thursday.
The Iran-backed militant organization targeted the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a spokesman said in a televised speech on Friday. He gave no more details and there’s no indication the ship was damaged or close to being hit. The Houthis have regularly attacked U.S. naval vessels this year with drones and missiles, all of them missing or being intercepted.
The U.S. and U.K. militaries struck 13 Houthi targets in Yemen and, according to the Houthis, killed at least 16 people. That would make it the deadliest assault on the group since the start of a military campaign in January to prevent its attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The Houthis said some of those people were civilians who were in the port city of Hodeida. Sanaa, the capital, and other areas were also struck, the Houthis said.
The U.S. military said that, in addition to the strikes, it destroyed eight unmanned aerial vehicles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and surrounding waters on Thursday.
“It was determined that these UAVs and sites presented a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region,” U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said.
Houthi missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden started in November and have disrupted global trade. Many major shipping firms are avoiding the area, which links to the Suez Canal, and sending ships going between Asia and Europe on much longer voyages around southern Africa. That’s sent freight rates soaring.
The militants have vowed to continue their attacks in solidarity with Palestinians and are calling on Israel to stop its war against Hamas in Gaza.
The assault comes as Israeli troops pursue Hamas militants in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite calls from the U.S., E.U. and other allies to exercise restraint and do more to protect civilians.
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This story was originally published May 31, 2024, 8:18 PM.