US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday, June 29th, 2024, that its forces had successfully destroyed seven drones belonging to the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, in the past 24 hours.

According to a statement released by CENTCOM on the X platform, monitored by "Barran Press," the command also destroyed a ground control station in areas controlled by the Houthi group.

CENTCOM highlighted that the drones and ground control station destroyed posed an "imminent threat to the United States, coalition forces, and commercial vessels in the region." The statement emphasized that these actions were taken "to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters secure and safer."

CENTCOM described the Houthis' actions, supported by Iran, as "continued malicious and reckless behavior," which "threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden."

Since November 2023, the Houthi group has launched missile and drone attacks against commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea, leading to increased maritime insurance costs and prompting many shipping companies to opt for the much longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.

In December 2023, the United States, a key ally of Israel, formed a multinational coalition to protect maritime navigation from attacks by the designated terrorist group. Meanwhile, US forces have been carrying out strikes against Houthi military targets on an intermittent basis.