The United States launched missiles to Yemen after a Navy ship came under fire
The USS Nitze launched Tomahawk missiles on various radar sites in the territory held by the Houthi rebels.
The United States launched a series of missiles in Yemen early Thursday in response to two attacks a ship of the US Navy in the last four days.
The USS Nitze, a destroyer based in the Red Sea, has launched several Tomahawk missiles in territory controlled by the Yemeni rebels to destroy a set of radar sites, the Pentagon said in a statement. Initial assessments indicate that the three radar target sites were destroyed.
"These limited strikes for self-defense have been done to protect our people, our ships and our freedom of navigation in this important passage from the sea," said the press secretary of the Pentagon Peter Cook. "The United States will answer the new threat to our ships and commercial traffic, if any, and will continue to maintain our freedom of navigation in the Red sea, the Bab al Mandab and elsewhere. "
The strikes were ordered by President Barack Obama and came "on the recommendation of Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford," said Cook.
All three radar sides were said to be involved in an incident with the USS Mason, a destroyer deployed on the Yemeni coast earlier this month was forced to take defensive maneuvers to avoid a missile. The attack launched from near the coastal city of Al Hudiyah, the Pentagon said in a statement on Wednesday. By this statement, there was no damage to the vessel or the crew.
"Those who threaten our forces should know that US commanders retain the right to defend their ships, and we will respond to this threat in a timely and appropriate manner", the previous statement concluded.
Mason first came under attack on Sunday when two cruise missiles were fired from Yemen to him and close USS Ponce. According to the US Naval Institute, Mason launched three missiles to try to intercept the laid off Yemen. It is not yet known if the interception was successful or whether the missile fell into the sea on their own.
The two attacks, the Defense Department said, came from the territory of Yemen controlled by rebels known as Houthis name. The Houthis, who are supported by Iran, seized control of the capital of Yemen last year and has since been under constant bombardment by the forces of a coalition led by Saudi. The US backed Saudi Arabia in his campaign, including Saudi refueling aircraft, and recently completed a $ 1,150,000,000 arms sales to the Gulf state.
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