‘We destroyed a drone in the Red Sea that was allegedly launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with another assumption to have crashed in the maritime region’, said the United States Military on Sunday.
‘There were no reports of damage or injuries from ships in the area’, said the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM also unveiled the destruction of five unmanned surface vessels and one UAV in self-defence within Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen.
‘These weapons posed an imminent threat to both merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region’, claimed the United States.
The ongoing attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea have caused disturbances in global shipping due to which the companies have now rerouted their vessels through longer and costlier journeys around Southern Africa.
According to the media reports, ‘the Houthis have acquired a new hypersonic missile, reportedly deadlier than previous armaments’.
March 16 Red Sea Update
On March 16, between 7:50 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched two unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV) from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea. United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and… pic.twitter.com/MIiFbTsiDW
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 17, 2024
The missile capable of speeds up to Mach 8 and fueled by solid propellants, is considered for use against targets in the Red Sea and potentially in Israel.
Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti unvieled the group’s plans to manufacture and deploy this ultra-high-speed projectile in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and potentially against Israeli targets.
However, the agency did not provide evidence to support the official’s claims. The Houthis have not publicly acknowledged the possession of hypersonic missiles.
Iran, which is known to be a key supporter of the Houthi rebels, also possesses a hypersonic missile named Fattah.
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