ANKARA 

The US said Saturday it shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by the Houthis in the Red Sea.

“On Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. (Sanaa time), USS Mason (DDG 87) shot down one Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM) launched into the Gulf of Aden from Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen,” CENTCOM wrote on X.

The missile was likely targeting MV Torm Thor, a US-flagged, owned and operated chemical and oil tanker, it said.

The missile was shot down without any injuries, it added.

The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7.

With tensions escalating due to joint strikes by the US and UK against Houthi targets in Yemen, the group declared that it considered all American and British ships legitimate military targets.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar