US shoots down Houthi missile, drones aimed at US destroyer

ISTANBUL

The US military announced on Wednesday that it had carried out defensive strikes to neutralize a shipborne ballistic missile and three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched towards a US destroyer from areas controlled by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

The threats to the USS Carney destroyer were neutralized with defensive strikes between 3 and 5 p.m. local time (1200-1400GMT) on Tuesday, with no damage or injuries reported to the ship, the US Central Command said on X.

It added that between 8.45 and 9.40 p.m. local time (1745-1940GMT), US forces destroyed three more anti-ship missiles and three unmanned surface vessels.

The statement said US forces carried out these strikes to safeguard freedom of navigation in the region and to make international waters safer for the US Navy and commercial vessels.

Since Jan. 12, the US and Britain have been launching airstrikes targeting Houthi sites in Yemen in response to their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which is occasionally met with responses from the group.

The Houthis have declared that they consider all American and British ships military targets.

​​​The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.