LIVE UPDATES
The US military has initiated a series of attacks aimed at radar sites controlled by Yemen's Houthi militants in response to their targeting of ships in the important Red Sea passage.
This action comes after a merchant sailor went missing following a previous Houthi strike on a ship.
The US Navy is currently facing significant combat challenges as it tries to counter the Houthi campaign, which the militants claim is intended to stop the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
However, the Houthi attacks, backed by Iran, often result in the targeting of ships and sailors unrelated to the war, leading to a significant reduction in traffic through the crucial shipping route connecting Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
According to the US Central Command, seven radars within Houthi-controlled territory were destroyed in the strikes, while two bomb-laden drone boats in the Red Sea and a Houthi-launched drone over the waterway were also eliminated.
The Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital since 2014, did not acknowledge the strikes or any military losses, a pattern that has persisted since the US began launching airstrikes against them.
Additionally, one crew member from the Tutor, a Liberian-flagged bulk cargo carrier attacked by the Houthis, remains missing. The crew was rescued by USS Philippine Sea and partner forces, but the Tutor is still in the Red Sea and slowly taking on water.
The Houthis have been responsible for over 50 attacks on shipping, resulting in three deaths, the seizure of one vessel, and the sinking of another since No
