The Houthi rebel group has launched several missiles and explosive-laden drones from Yemen’s northwestern Hajjah Province toward the Red Sea, a government official told Xinhua on Friday.
The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that “the Houthi rebels launched several missiles and over ten drones from Hajjah’s Midi District toward the Red Sea on Thursday,” adding that they left the area after the operation.
Also on Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney intercepted three land-attack cruise missiles and multiple drones launched by Houthis from Yemen.
Meanwhile, local eyewitnesses reported intense Houthi military movements and weapons transfers in Hajjah in recent days.
Yemeni military officials indicated that the Houthi group may launch missiles and drones toward the Red Sea in a bid to open a new front against U.S. allies in the region.
The Houthis control much of northern Yemen, including parts of the Red Sea coast.
Earlier this month, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi threatened in a televised speech to bomb Israel if the U.S. intervenes directly in Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza.
The latest round of conflicts between Israel and the Gaza-ruling Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) began on Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel close to the border with Gaza, prompting Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza. Regional powers fear the conflict could spiral into a broader war in the area.
