ISTANBUL 

The US military announced on Thursday that it had carried out defensive strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles or drones in an area controlled by Yemen's Houthis which had been aimed at US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.

At about 7:14 pm local time (1614GMT), “United States Central Command conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region," the US Central Command wrote on X.

"These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels," it added.

Since Jan. 12, the US and Britain have been launching airstrikes targeting Houthi sites in Yemen in response to their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which occasionally are met with responses from the group.

The Houthis have declared that they consider all American and British ships military targets.

​​​The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.