Anti-ship missile fired at oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden
In retaliation for the massive US and UK airstrikes the previous day.
A U.S. official said that Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired missiles at civilian ships again on the 12th (local time), a day after being attacked by the U.S. and U.K., but to no avail.
According to CNN, Douglas Sims, director of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship ballistic missile at an oil tanker passing through the Gulf of Aden that day, but failed to hit any ships.
The Houthi rebels’ latest attack attempt occurred the day after the large-scale airstrikes by the United States and Britain and is interpreted as retaliation. The Houthi rebels predicted retaliation on this day, saying, “We will not hesitate to target the source of all threats.”
“I expect there will be an attempt at retaliation, and frankly I hope they don’t,” said Director Sims.
“There are many influential people in the Houthis who know that continuing the conflict will not be beneficial. “Iran is one of them,” he said, calling for Iran’s role.
Previously, the United States repeatedly warned that it may take action as Houthi rebels continue to attack civilian ships in the Red Sea. Then, on the 11th, together with the UK, a large-scale airstrike was launched on Hudaydah, a port city in western Yemen known as the base of the Houthi rebels.
Initially, it was reported that 16 facilities were attacked, but 12 were added, resulting in a total of 28 facilities being destroyed. The United States believes that more than 150 types of weapons are stored here.
Meanwhile, when asked by reporters whether he would continue airstrikes if the Houthi rebels did not stop their attacks, U.S. President Joe Biden left open the possibility of additional airstrikes, saying, “If they continue their outrageous actions, we will definitely respond.”
[워싱턴=뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.