A United States destroyer shot down a number of drones on Sunday (3/12), while supporting a merchant ship in the Red Sea that was the target of attacks coming from Yemeni territory, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who say they targeted two of the ships, have launched a series of drone and missile attacks on Israel in recent weeks and hijacked a cargo ship last month, but the latest attacks mark a sharp escalation. significant threat to shipping in the region.
“Today, there were four attacks on three separate merchant vessels operating in international waters on the southern side of the Red Sea,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer USS Carney responded to calls from the ships and provided support, and shot down three drones targeting the warship during the day, the statement said.
The USS Carney detected a missile fired from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen, landing near the Bahamas-flagged ship M/V Unity Explorer, while the cargo ship later reported minor damage from another missile launched from a rebel-controlled area.
A Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier, M/V Number 9, reported damage but no casualties caused by missiles from Yemen, while the M/V Sophie II, also flying a Panamanian flag, said it had also been hit but suffered no injuries. significant loss.
CENTCOM said the attacks represented a “direct threat to international trade and maritime security.”
“We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, although launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, were entirely enabled by Iran. “The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners,” CENTCOM added in its report.
Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Unity Explorer and Number 9 in a statement on social media accounts earlier in the day. They stated that the ships belonged to Israel and attacks on ships from that country would continue until Israel’s attacks on their steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip were stopped. (ns/rs)