US warships and aircraft have struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen

American troops on Friday raided more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen are being used by both aircraft and warships, US officials told CBS News.

These strikes, according to a statement from the US Central Command, hit 15 points containing military capabilities that attacked the Houthis, and these strikes were “to protect freedom of navigation and to make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition and merchant ships.”

The Houthis last week launched what the Pentagon described as a “sophisticated attack” using cruise missiles and drones near US Navy ships. Weapons launched by the Houthis were shot down by Navy ships or failed, according to the Pentagon.

No US ship was hit, and no American personnel were injured, but the attack also showed that months of US airstrikes have not stopped the Houthis from targeting ships in the Red Sea.

Since last November, the Houthis have targeted more than 100 ships, sinking two and hijacking another. The group says it is launching attacks to protest Israel’s war in Gaza, but US officials say most of the targeted ships are not related to Israel’s war.

Recently, the Houthis went after Israel directly, launching an empty plane over Tel Aviv in July and arrow in September. Both attacks prompted an Israeli response indexing sites in Yemen.

US Central Command troops often launch strikes against Houthi missiles or drone strikes when there are indications that the Houthis plan to attack US military or commercial vessels, but Friday’s strikes targeted Houthi infrastructure.

Earlier this year, the US and the UK conducted several rounds of joint airstrikes targeting not only the launchers, but also infrastructure, such as storage facilities. Widespread strikes or “whack a mole” type strikes do not seem to have convinced the Houthis to stop their attacks.

In August, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, Sabrina Singh, acknowledged that the Houthis continued to have the ability to launch attacks, but said that strikes targeting their infrastructure had reduced some of the Houthis’ capabilities.

“They still have a strong arsenal, but we’ve been able to undermine their capabilities over time,” Singh said.

The Houthis, like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, they are supported and receive weapons from Iran.