The shots were fired at around 3:15 pm on Wednesday (local time) and originated from rebel-controlled areas in the country of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Houthis have been attacking Israeli territory and ships that they say are linked to Israel, following the offensive against the Gaza Strip triggered by Hamas attacks on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023.

The attacks affect navigation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The rebels have promised to keep up the attacks until the end of the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

The CenteCom justified the US intervention with the aim of "protecting freedom of navigation and making international waters safer", according to the statement quoted by the Spanish agency Europa Press.

The rebels have also attacked US and British ships and other strategic assets in response to the two countries' bombings in Yemen.

Washington and London say the intervention against the rebels in Yemen is aimed at ensuring the security of the United States and the United Kingdom.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since October, when the Palestinian extremist group carried out an unprecedented attack on Israeli soil that killed about 1,200 people, according to Tel Aviv authorities.

In response, Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has already killed more than 35,700 people, according to the Hamas government, which has controlled Gaza since 2007.

The Houthis have controlled the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and other areas in the north and west of the country since 2015.

The actions of the Yemeni rebels have forced many shipowners to suspend passage through the Red Sea shipping lanes.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), container shipping through the Red Sea has decreased by almost 30% in a year.

Before the war, between 12% and 15% of world traffic passed through the Red Sea route, according to the European Union.

At war for more than a decade, Yemen is considered the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula.

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