The U.S. military struck three radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory on Yemen’s Red Sea coast, the Pentagon said in a statement. The strikes were aimed at preventing future missiles from being launched toward U.S. warships.
“These limited self-defense strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships, and our freedom of navigation in this important maritime passageway,” the Pentagon said. “Initial assessments show the sites were destroyed.”
The strikes were authorized by President Obama at the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford.
It was not immediately known if there were any casualties from the strikes.
The United States had recently announced that it would review its support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen following a deadly airstrike by the coalition on a funeral in Yemen’s capital, Sana, which killed over 160 people and injured hundreds.
The U.S. strikes on radio sites were limited to protecting its own fleet and a safe maritime passageway for commercial ships, and unlikely indicative of a expanding mission for U.S. forces in Yemen.
On Thursday, the Houthis reiterated a denial that they carried out the initial missele launches and said they did not come from areas under their control, a news agency controlled by the group reported a military source as saying, according to Reuters.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said it shot down a missile that was fired from inside Yemen aimed at the Kingdom – the second such incident in five days.
