Houthis claim fresh strikes against US aircraft carriers

SANAA — Yemen's Houthis said in a statement on Tuesday that the group launched fresh attacks against two US aircraft carriers, and had shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the Yemeni northwestern province of Hajjah.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that the group launched fresh attacks against two US aircraft carriers, from which the US military has been conducting airstrikes against Houthi targets across northern Yemen since mid-March.

"We carried out two military operations targeting the American aircraft carriers: the USS Harry S.Truman and USS Carl Vinson and their escorting warships in the Red and Arabian Seas, using cruise missiles and drones," Sarea said.

"We shot down a hostile American MQ-9 drone while carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Hajjah Province," Sarea said.

"The drone was shot down, using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile," he said, adding: "The MQ-9 drone is the seventh drone we had shot down this April and the 22nd since November 2023."

The Houthi military spokesman stressed that the group is ready to confront the US military escalation of airstrikes.

"We will continue to deal responsibly and appropriately with any developments in the coming days at all levels," he said, noting, "We will not stop supporting Palestinians until the Israeli aggression on Gaza stops and the blockade on it is lifted."

Since the conflict in Gaza broke out in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Early on Tuesday, al-Masirah TV reported dozens of US airstrikes on several locations across northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. No casualties were reported as the Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, rarely disclose their losses.

Tensions between the Houthi group and the US military have escalated since Washington resumed airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on March 15 to deter the group from targeting Israel and US warships.

Meanwhile, Israel's military said on Wednesday that a missile was "launched from Yemen".

Houthis have targeted ships it accuses of having ties to Israel as the freighters travel on the Red Sea, a vital waterway for global trade.

Xinhua - Agencies