US military says it struck 12 UAVs over Red Sea yesterday to secure maritime route

By Jacob Magid

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3 February 2024, 4:08 pm

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

The US-owned ship Genco Picardy, which came under attack on January 17, 2024, from a bomb-carrying drone launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden, on January 18, 2024. (Indian Navy via AP, FIle)

The US Military’s Central Command says its forces shot down a drone over the Gulf of Aden yesterday and later conducted strikes against four Houthi UAVs that were being readied for launch.

“US forces identified the UAVs in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region. US forces subsequently struck and destroyed the UAVs in self-defense,” says a tweet from CENTCOM.

Later Friday, a US Navy destroyer along with F/A-18s shot down seven more UAVs over the Red Sea.

“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM says.