A US destroyer shot down three drones this Sunday while providing assistance to commercial ships in the Red Sea, the target of attacks from Yemen, the US military Command for the Middle East (Centcom) reported in a statement.
“The Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer USS CARNEY responded to the ships’ distress calls and provided assistance,” shooting down three drones heading toward the warship during the day, it said.
The USS Carney detected a missile, fired from an area of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, landing near the Bahamian-flagged ship Unity Explorer. The cargo ship then reported minor damage from another missile coming from a rebel-held area.
Vessel Number 9, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier, reported having been damaged by a missile from Yemen, with no casualties reported. The Sophie II, which also flies the Panamanian flag, indicated that it had also been hit, without suffering significant damage.
Previously, the Houthis announced in a statement posted on social media that they had carried out an “operation against two Israeli ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait,” a strategic waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. whose objective was the old ship. with a “missile and the second with a drone.”
“The United States will consider all appropriate responses”
According to the press release, the ships are the “Unity Explorer” and the “Number Nine.” He said the attack took place after they “rejected warning messages” from the Houthis.
The rebels said they would continue attacking Israeli ships “until Israeli aggression against our brothers in the Gaza Strip ceases.”
Earlier in the day, maritime security company Ambrey reported that a British cargo ship flying the Bahamian flag had been hit by a rocket in the Red Sea.
According to Ambrey, the ownership and management of the attacked ship is linked to Dan David Ungar, a British citizen who is listed as an Israeli resident in Britain’s main business directory.
Centcom believes these attacks represent “a direct threat to international trade and maritime security.”
“We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, although launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are entirely funded by Iran,” Centcom said.
“The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its allies and international partners.”
Source: BFM TV
