Thursday, October 13, 2016

Navy Cruise Missile Strike Destroys Radar Sites in Yemen | Military.com

Navy Cruise Missile Strike Destroys Radar Sites in Yemen | Military.com: A U.S. Navy ship launched cruise missiles and destroyed three radar sites from a rebel-controlled area in Yemen, the service announced late Wednesday.

The announcement came a day after a Navy ship was apparently targeted for a second time by missiles originating from the area.

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the radar sites struck were in territory controlled by Houthi rebels on Yemen's Red Sea coast. They were hit early Wednesday morning, at roughly 4 a.m. local time, officials said.

"Initial assessments show the sites were destroyed," Cook said in the statement.

A defense official told Military.com the attacks were conducted using sea-launched cruise missiles and originated from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Nitze, but would not confirm the number of missiles fired, citing security reasons.

"This is a direct response to situations that threaten freedom of navigation," Navy Lt. Ian McConaughey, a spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, told Military.com. "These strikes show our resolve against unprovoked hostility against the U.S. and are aimed at defending U.S. Navy assets.”