In a decisive move, the U.S. military unleashed a wave of attacks targeting radar sites operated by Yemen's Houthi rebels, following the latest Houthi strike on shipping in the crucial Red Sea corridor. The attacks were launched after one merchant sailor went missing and the vessel he was on caught fire. Authorities reported the incident on Saturday, highlighting the escalating tensions in the region.
The U.S. Navy is currently facing the most intense combat it has seen since World War II in its efforts to counter the Houthi campaign. The rebels claim that their attacks are meant to halt the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. However, the Iranian-backed rebel assaults often target ships and sailors who have no connection to the conflict, while traffic remains halved through the vital corridor for cargo and energy shipments between Asia, Europe, and the Mideast.
According to the U.S. military's Central Command, the strikes destroyed seven radars within Houthi-controlled territory. The command did not provide further details on how the sites were destroyed and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. In a statement, Central Command emphasized that these radars allow the Houthis to target maritime vessels and endanger commercial shipping.
In addition to the radar sites, the U.S. also destroyed two bomb-laden drone boats in the Red Sea and a drone launched by the Houthis over the waterway. The Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014, did not acknowledge the strikes or any military losses, which has been typical since the U.S. began launching airstrikes targeting the rebels.
The Central Command reported that one commercial sailor from the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk cargo carrier Tutor remains missing after a Houthi attack on Wednesday. The attack involved a bomb-carrying drone boat striking the vessel. The crew abandoned ship and were rescued by USS Philippine Sea and partner forces, while the Tutor remains in the Red Sea and is slowly taking on water. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center stated on Saturday afternoon that the Tutor was "still on fire and sinking."
According to the state-run Philippine News Agency, the missing sailor is Filipino. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac confirmed that most of the Tutor's 22 mariners were from the Philippines. He expressed concern for the missing seafarer and stated that efforts were being made to account for him.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping since November, resulting in the deaths of three sailors, the seizure of one vessel, and the sinking of another, as reported by the U.S. Maritime Administration. In response, a U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January. A series of strikes on May 30 killed at least 16 people and wounded 42 others, according to the rebels.
The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip has claimed the lives of more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, while hundreds of others have been killed in Israeli operations in the West Bank. The conflict began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.
