The destroyer USS Carney successfully intercepted and neutralized three drones launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen on Sunday. Image: REUTERS
American warship intercepts drones launched from Houthi-held Yemen.
According to the US Navy, three commercial ships were attacked in the Red Sea, and in response, a US destroyer shot down three drones.
According to the report, the USS Carney provided assistance to the ships on Sunday after they were attacked near Yemen by the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran.
The ships had connections to 14 nations, including the UK.
It also said that missiles hit two ships, but that no one was hurt.
According to a Houthi official, two Israeli ships were assaulted by the group’s naval.
The Israeli military denied any involvement with the ships.
Parts of Yemen are under the authority of the Houthis, who are backed by Iran. The country’s government was overthrown in 2014, starting an ongoing civil conflict.
Amid the conflict between Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Israel, it has started attacking ships with ties to Israel in the Red Sea.
On Sunday morning, the USS Carney detected the explosion of an anti-ship ballistic missile near the Unity Explorer, a Bahamian-flagged, UK-owned and managed cargo ship.
This information was shared by US Central Command (Centcom), a branch of the US military that supervises operations in the Middle East.
It subsequently fired down a drone that Centcom said was aiming towards the Carney, however they did not specify whether or not the drone really intended to damage the Carney.
The Unity Explorer was hit by a missile fired from a region held by the Houthis that afternoon, causing minor damage.
The US ship fired down another drone as it responded to the ship’s distress signal.
Two further ships, one of which was partially owned by the United Kingdom and both flying the Panamanian flag, later claimed being hit by missiles.
The USS Carney fired down a third drone on its way to help the second ship.
There was a “direct threat to international commerce and maritime security” and the assaults had “jeopardised the lives” of the ships’ multinational crews, according to Centcom.
“We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran,” the statement stated.
“The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners.”
This week, the United States said that its warship had apprehended armed individuals who had previously taken control of a tanker related to Israel off the coast of Yemen.
According to Centcom, the vessel was then targeted by two missiles launched from Yemeni territory held by the opposition Houthi group.
According to the Houthis, they are fighting against Israel, the United States, and the West as a whole as part of a “axis of resistance” that includes forces linked to Iran.