(TheProudRepublic.com) – In their effort to stop terrorist acts around the world, the US fighter jet pilots bravely put their lives on the line and saved a ship from a vicious attack.
U.S. military forces engaged in a defensive action when they intercepted an anti-ship cruise missile launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen towards a U.S. Navy destroyer.
This incident occurred off the coast of al-Hudaydah, Yemen’s main port city, as detailed in a statement by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The CENTCOM statement described the event: “On Jan. 14 at approximately 4:45 p.m. (Sanaa time), an anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon (DDG 58), which was operating in the Southern Red Sea,” it read. “The missile was shot down in vicinity of the coast of Hudaydah by U.S. fighter aircraft.” The report from The War Zone, citing a U.S. official, indicated that the aircraft involved in this operation were land-based and not from the Navy aircraft carrier patrolling the region.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage during this operation. The specific details about the number of aircraft involved, their types, or their base of operations were not disclosed by the U.S. military, and the Pentagon and CENTCOM did not respond immediately to inquiries from the media.
This action comes amidst heightened tensions with the Iran-backed Houthis, who have threatened retaliation against the U.S. for its strikes on various targets. These strikes were in response to over two dozen attacks by the Houthis on international shipping since November 19, as reported by the media.
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam issued a statement on social media, asserting their commitment to targeting ships heading to Israeli ports as a form of resistance. According to USNI News, Abdulsalam stated, “On top of the 100 days of Israeli aggression against Gaza, we affirm that the hostile measures by America against Yemen will not prevent the armed forces from continuing to implement their religious, humanitarian and moral commitment in support of the Palestinian people and their valiant resistance by continuing to target ships belonging to the enemy entity and heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza.” Abdulsalam also expressed concerns about “enemy” aircraft near Yemeni airspace and coastal areas, as reported by Reuters, though it’s unclear if this was in direct reference to the recent incident.
According to The War Zone, this incident marks the first interception of a land-based missile in the Red Sea since the onset of Houthi aggression in the area. The USS Laboon has previously engaged and neutralized several drones and missiles launched from Houthi-controlled regions in Yemen.
The U.S. and U.K., along with support from four other nations, have conducted operations targeting over 60 munitions depots, radars, and launch sites used by the Houthis to attack international shipping in the Red Sea. The U.S. also carried out additional strikes against radar facilities in Yemen following another attack by the rebels on a commercial vessel, marking the 28th such attack on international shipping.
