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US smashes 3 Houthi radar sites after missile attacks on destroyer
WASHINGTON: The US military launched Tomahawk cruise missiles on Thursday against three coastal radar sites in areas of Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces, after failed missile attacks this week on a US Navy destroyer, US officials said.
USS Navy destroyer USS Nitze launched the missiles around 4 a.m. (0100 GMT), said officials.
The attacks marked the first US strikes targeting the Houthis in Yemen’s long-running civil war. The US previously only provided logistical support and refueling to the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis.
Several hours later, Iran announced it had sent two warships to the Gulf of Aden, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, establishing a military presence in waters off Yemen.
Iran, which supports the Houthi group, said it had deployed two warships to the Gulf of Aden, to protect ship lanes.
“Iran’s Alvand and Bushehr warships have been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden to protect trade vessels from piracy,” Tasnim reported.
An Iranian official told Reuters the vessels were deployed a few days ago, but refused to say when they will arrive there.
Tasnim said the deployment was part of a regular anti-piracy patrol off Yemen and East Africa. Still, its announcement hours after the American strike appeared aimed at sending a signal to the United States.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s state news agency Saba— under Houthis’ control— quoted an unnamed military official as saying that US accusations that a US destroyer had come under attack from areas under control of Houthis were false.
No information on casualties from the US missiles was provided by American officials. The three radar sites were in remote areas, where there was little risk of civilian casualties or collateral damage, said a military official who preferred anonymity.
President Barack Obama authorized the strikes at the recommendation of Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. US officials had said earlier that the US was weighing what military response to take.
“These limited self-defense strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships and our freedom of navigation,” Cook said.
The official identified the areas in Yemen where the radar sites were located as near Ras Isa, north of Mukha and near Khoka.
Shipping sources told Reuters sites were hit in the Dhubab district of Taiz province, a remote area overlooking the Bab Al-Mandab Strait known for fishing and smuggling.
The Pentagon warned against any future attacks. “The US will respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as appropriate,” Cook said.
The UAE, a leading member of a Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting to end Houthi control, denounced the attacks on the Mason as an attempt to target the freedom of navigation and to inflame the regional situation.
The US missile launch also could affect relations with Iran, which says it backs the Yemeni rebels but denies arming them. That’s contradicted by the US Navy, which says it has intercepted several shipping boats since the war began carrying Iranian weaponry suspected to be on the way to Yemen.
WASHINGTON: The US military launched Tomahawk cruise missiles on Thursday against three coastal radar sites in areas of Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces, after failed missile attacks this week on a US Navy destroyer, US officials said.
USS Navy destroyer USS Nitze launched the missiles around 4 a.m. (0100 GMT), said officials.
The attacks marked the first US strikes targeting the Houthis in Yemen’s long-running civil war. The US previously only provided logistical support and refueling to the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis.
Several hours later, Iran announced it had sent two warships to the Gulf of Aden, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, establishing a military presence in waters off Yemen.
Iran, which supports the Houthi group, said it had deployed two warships to the Gulf of Aden, to protect ship lanes.
“Iran’s Alvand and Bushehr warships have been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden to protect trade vessels from piracy,” Tasnim reported.
An Iranian official told Reuters the vessels were deployed a few days ago, but refused to say when they will arrive there.
Tasnim said the deployment was part of a regular anti-piracy patrol off Yemen and East Africa. Still, its announcement hours after the American strike appeared aimed at sending a signal to the United States.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s state news agency Saba— under Houthis’ control— quoted an unnamed military official as saying that US accusations that a US destroyer had come under attack from areas under control of Houthis were false.
No information on casualties from the US missiles was provided by American officials. The three radar sites were in remote areas, where there was little risk of civilian casualties or collateral damage, said a military official who preferred anonymity.
President Barack Obama authorized the strikes at the recommendation of Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. US officials had said earlier that the US was weighing what military response to take.
“These limited self-defense strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships and our freedom of navigation,” Cook said.
The official identified the areas in Yemen where the radar sites were located as near Ras Isa, north of Mukha and near Khoka.
Shipping sources told Reuters sites were hit in the Dhubab district of Taiz province, a remote area overlooking the Bab Al-Mandab Strait known for fishing and smuggling.
The Pentagon warned against any future attacks. “The US will respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as appropriate,” Cook said.
The UAE, a leading member of a Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting to end Houthi control, denounced the attacks on the Mason as an attempt to target the freedom of navigation and to inflame the regional situation.
The US missile launch also could affect relations with Iran, which says it backs the Yemeni rebels but denies arming them. That’s contradicted by the US Navy, which says it has intercepted several shipping boats since the war began carrying Iranian weaponry suspected to be on the way to Yemen.
