Sanaa, Sep 4 (IANS): The US Central Command said on Wednesday that its naval forces had destroyed a missile system of the Houthi group in Yemen.

"In the past 24 hours, US Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi missile system in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen," it said in a post on social media platform X.

"It was determined this system presented an imminent threat to US and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region," it said without providing further details, according to Xinhua news agency.

This was the third Houthi missile system destroyed by the US military strikes over the past two days, according to the USCENTCOM.

Meanwhile, residents in the Yemeni central province of Ibb reported on social media platforms that a fighter jet launched an airstrike targeting the Houthi-controlled Al-Hamzah military installation in the province on Tuesday.

The Houthi group, which controls Ibb and several other northern provinces, including the capital, Sanaa, has yet to comment.

Separately, on Tuesday the European Union's naval mission wrote on X that the burning Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which was attacked by the Houthis two weeks ago in the Red Sea, was still unsafe to be towed, and private companies responsible for the salvage operation are exploring alternative solutions to conduct the towing operation.

The Houthis have been launching missile and drone attacks targeting what it called "Israel-linked" ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November last year to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

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