![An aerial view of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower together in eastern Mediterranean on November 03, 2023. [U.S. Navy Malachi Lakey/Handout - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AA-20231103-32639863-32639862-US_NAVY_CARRIERS_FORD_EISENHOWER_IN_EASTERN_MEDITERRANEAN.jpg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Saturday that it destroyed a Houthi drone and support vehicle in an area of Yemen under Houthi control, Anadolu Agency reports.
The operation “in the past 24 hours” targeted Iranian-backed Houthi forces, whose capabilities were considered an “imminent threat” to the US and coalition forces, as well as commercial vessels operating in the area, CENTCOM said in a statement.
The statement stressed that the operation was conducted to secure international waters and maintain freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden — regions where Houthi forces target cargo ships linked to Israel, in a show of support for the Gaza Strip.
READ: Yemen’s Houthi forces claim latest attack against Israeli-linked tanker in Red Sea