CENTCOM destroys 5 Houthi drones in Red Sea

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported late Monday that its forces destroyed five anti-ship drones launched by the Houthis over the Red Sea during the past 24 hours. The statement added that three of these drones were over the Red Sea and two over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, noting that these systems presented an imminent threat to US coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region. "Iranian-backed Houthis launched multiple attacks against MT Bentley I, a Panama-flagged, Israel-owned, Monaco-operated tanker vessel in the Red Sea carrying vegetable oil from Russia to China," the statement added. It pointed out that the Houthis used three surface vessels in this attack, one uncrewed surface vessel (USV) and two small boats. Houthis also launched an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, over the Red Sea toward MT Bentley. Separately, the Houthis attacked MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged, Marshall Islands-owned, Greek-operated crude oil tanker with a USV in the Red Sea, causing damage. In these three attacks, no injuries have been reported. It added that "this continued reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Source: Kuwait News Agency