(Reuters) - The U.S. Central Command said on Saturday that U.S. forces conducted strikes in self-defense against six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.

       U.S. forces identified the cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region, the statement added.

       (Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Diane Craft)