U.S. strikes not connected to broader Yemen conflict - Pentagon

U.S. military strikes against coastal radar sites in Yemen were defensive in nature and not a signal of a deepening U.S. role in Yemen's conflict, the Pentagon said on Thursday. "These strikes are not connected to the broader conflict in Yemen. The United States continues to encourage all parties in the Yemen conflict to commit to a cessation of hostilities and to seek a political solution to that conflict," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told a news conference.