The U.S. launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory on Yemen’s Red Sea coast in response to the missiles that were fired at U.S. warships in the last five days.
(FOX)- Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement that the sites were destroyed. The USS Nitze launched the missiles.
The strikes marked the first shots fired by the U.S. in anger against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen’s long-running civil war. Officials haven’t provided information on casualties from the U.S. missiles fired early Thursday.
Cook said President Barack Obama authorized the strikes at the recommendation of Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford. He added that these were limited self-defense strikes conducted to protect U.S. personnel, ships and freedom of navigation.
Meanwhile, the state news agency Saba— under Houthis’ control— quoted an unnamed military official as saying that US accusations that a US destroyer had come under attack from areas under control of Houthis were false. He said, “all these claims are totally untrue and that the popular committees (Houthi militias) have nothing to do with such action.”
(Photo Credit: US Navy via AP and Fox News)