ANKARA

US forces destroyed drones launched by the Yemeni Houthi group, the Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Sunday.

“On March 16, between 7:50 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. (Sanaa time) (0450-0515GMT), Iranian-backed Houthis launched two unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV) from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea,” US CENTCOM said on X.

CENTCOM said its forces “successfully engaged and destroyed one UAV and the other is presumed to have crashed into the Red Sea.”

Nearby ships have not reported any damage or injuries, it added.

CENTCOM also noted that between 9 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. local time, US forces destroyed five unmanned surface vessels and an unmanned aerial vehicle in Houthi-controlled areas "in self-defense."

There has so far been no comment from the Houthis on the statements.

The Houthis, in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, facing a devastating Israeli offensive for months, has been targeting Israeli cargo ships or those associated with Tel Aviv in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, expressing determination to continue operations until the end of the war on the enclave.

With the intervention of Washington and London and an escalation of tensions, the Houthis announced they would also consider all American and British ships as military targets.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi