While the US has been supporting a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states who have been bombing the Houthis for a year, Thursday’s missile launch is the first time that the US has directly attacked the rebels with its own forces.
A US destroyer fired several Tomahawk cruise missiles at three coastal radar stations in Houthi territory early on Thursday morning. All three sites were destroyed in the attack but it was not clear if anyone was killed, the Pentagon said.
The attack came after missiles were fired at US ships from rebel areas in Yemen in two separate incidents on Saturday and again on Wednesday, according to the US. None of the missiles hit the ships.
The Houthi rebels, who are aligned with Iran and toppled Yemen’s internationally-recognised government last year, denied any involvement.
