‘Limited self-defence strikes’ in retaliation for missiles that threatened American naval vessels
The US military has destroyed three radar sites in rebel-held Yemeni territory with cruise missiles, marking its first direct intervention against Houthi targets in the 19-month military campaign led by its ally, Saudi Arabia.
A Pentagon official said the “limited self-defence strikes” were in retaliation for recent missile launches that threatened US naval vessels.
“The United States will respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as appropriate, and will continue to maintain our freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb, and elsewhere around the world,” said Peter Cook, Pentagon press secretary.
Concerns have been growing over the threat of the protracted Yemeni civil war spilling over into the narrow Bab al-Mandeb strait, a choke point that guards the southern access to the Suez Canal, one of busiest shipping routes in the world. The Iran-allied Houthi rebels are fighting alongside former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has the loyalty of some Yemeni military units.
In separate incidents on Sunday and Wednesday, missiles fired from Houthi-held territory threatened the USS Mason and other vessels, without causing any damage.
Last week, a civilian ship operated by the United Arab Emirates, a member of the Saudi-led coalition, was badly damaged in a missile attack in nearby waters.
The first failed attack on the USS Mason came hours after one of the bloodiest single incidents in the conflict on Saturday, when air strikes on a packed funeral hall in the capital killed more than 140 people, including civilians and military personnel loyal to Mr Saleh. Riyadh is investigating the incident.
The funeral attack prompted the US to say it was reviewing its support for the Saudi-led coalition, which has come under increasing scrutiny as civilian casualties from its bombing raids have mounted.
The US military has helped the coalition war effort with targeting assistance, aerial refuelling and replenishing depleted precision munition stockpiles.
Military experts say the US has already limited its support for Saudi military operations. US drones have for years targeted Sunni jihadis from al-Qaeda in its stronghold of southern Yemen.
The naval escalation comes amid a sharp increase in civilian deaths after peace talks collapsed in August.
The UN has criticised the “immense carnage” caused by coalition air strikes, including the destruction of medical facilities and critical infrastructure. Riyadh says it investigates claims of civilian casualties.
More than 10,000 people have died since the Yemeni civil war escalated into a regional conflict in late March when Saudi Arabia started bombing raids against Houthi forces and military units loyal to Mr Saleh. The Houthis ousted the government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi in January 2015.
Saudi Arabia has led a regional coalition seeking to restore Mr Hadi to power as Riyadh seeks to stem what it regards as undue Iranian interference in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.