Barran Press
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday, August 16, 2024, that it had destroyed a ground control station belonging to the Iranian-backed Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community.
In a statement on X (seen by "Barran Press"), CENTCOM stated that "over the past 24 hours, US Central Command forces successfully destroyed a Houthi ground control station in a (unspecified) area under their control in Yemen."
The statement explained that "the ground control station posed a clear and imminent threat to US forces, coalition forces (Operation Sentinel), and commercial vessels in the region."
CENTCOM considered these actions to be "in defense of freedom of navigation and to make international waters safer and more secure," without providing further details.
Since November 2023, the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, has launched missile and drone attacks against commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
These attacks have led to increased maritime insurance costs and prompted many international shipping companies to opt for the much longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.
To deter the Houthis, the US-led "Operation Sentinel" coalition, which includes significant British participation, launched airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen in January 2024. The Houthi group has since expanded its operations to target vessels linked to Washington and London, according to their own statements.