SANAA - The US Central Command said in a statement early Sunday that its forces had destroyed a drone and an unmanned boat in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

"In the past 24 hours, US Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and one uncrewed surface vessel (USV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," it said in a statement on social media platform X.

ALSO READ: As salvage starts, no oil spilling from tanker set ablaze by Houthis in Red Sea

"It was determined these systems presented a clear and imminent threat to US and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region," it added.

USCENTCOM rarely discloses the exact targeted places in the Houthi-controlled areas. However, residents said on social media platforms that they heard two explosions on Saturday in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The USCENTCOM statement came a few hours after the Houthi group claimed responsibility for the Friday attack that targeted a vessel named GROTON in the Gulf of Aden.

Since November 2023, the Houthi group has been launching anti-ship missiles and drone attacks targeting what the group said were "Israeli-linked" ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

READ MORE: Yemen's Houthis will let salvage crews access oil tanker they set ablaze in Red Sea

Dozens of cargo ships have since been damaged.

In response, the US-British naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted regular air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets in northern Yemen to deter the group.