US successfully shoots down Houthi anti-ship cruise missile launched into Red Sea

According to the website of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Houthi militants launched an anti-ship cruise missile from Yemen into the Red Sea.

Specifically, the launch was carried out at 11:30 p.m. on January 30 (Yemen time). CENTCOM said the destroyer USS Gravely successfully shot down the missile. There were no damages or casualties after the incident.

This is the latest missile launch by the Houthis in the Red Sea. Previously, on January 29, the spokesman for the Houthi forces in Yemen, Mr. Yahya Saree, said that in response to the US and UK attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, on the night of January 28 (local time), the Houthis launched a missile at the US Navy ship Lewis B. Puller while it was moving in the Gulf of Aden. The statement said that the ship Lewis B. Puller was tasked with providing logistical support to US forces participating in attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen.

On January 26, the Houthis posted a video claiming that their naval arm had carried out an attack on the British oil tanker Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden, setting the ship on fire. Sarea confirmed that the force used several naval missiles to hit the target.

Earlier on January 26, the UK Maritime Surveillance Agency (UKMTO) also said it had received reports of an attack 60 nautical miles southwest of the Gulf of Aden. The ship was hit and caught fire, and had to call for emergency assistance. The US-UK maritime alliance responded immediately.

Hours earlier, Danish shipping giant Maersk said two ships, the Maersk Detroit and the Maersk Chesapeake, were heading to the Red Sea when they were forced to turn back after hearing explosions while passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. A US Navy escort ship accompanying the two ships also intercepted several flying objects, Maersk said.

Despite repeated US and UK airstrikes on the Houthis in Yemen, the group has vowed to continue attacking targets in the Red Sea until Israel stops its attacks on the Gaza Strip and Palestinians.

Since late 2023, Houthi forces have stepped up attacks on Israeli-linked cargo ships traveling through the sea lanes linking Asia with Europe and the United States in an effort to pressure Israel to halt its military campaign in Gaza. This move prompted the United States and Britain to launch retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.