US strikes Yemen in self defence

In "self defence", three US warships on Thursday fired cruise missiles at a radar installations in Yemen that the Pentagon claimed was used by Yemeni insurgents to target another American warship earlier.

The three sites - in Houthi-controlled territory - targeted on Thursday by the US warship were located in remote areas, where there was little risk of civilian casualties or collateral damage, a US official said.

On Sunday, the USS Mason warship in the Red Sea was targeted by two missile attacks, CNN reported.

The missile, however, missed the warship and landed in water.

The USS Mason was fired on again on Wednesday while conducting routine operations in international waters, according to the Pentagon.

"The ship employed defensive countermeasures, and the missile did not reach USS Mason," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said about Wednesday's incident.

"There was no damage to the ship or its crew. USS Mason will continue its operations."

The destroyer USS Nitze launched the Tomahawk cruise missiles targeting the coastal radar sites. Initial assessments indicate all three targets were destroyed, the official said.

--IANS

ss/ksk