US warship shoots down Houthi drones over Red Sea

The incident came just hours after a cruise missile fired by the Houthis was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force near Eilat.

NOVEMBER 23, 2023 06:35

Updated: NOVEMBER 23, 2023 09:53

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 23, 2021 (photo credit: REUTERS/MURAD SEZER) — U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 23, 2021

(photo credit: REUTERS/MURAD SEZER)

The USS Thomas Hudner shot down multiple attack drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia over the Red Sea early Thursday morning, US Central Command said on X (Formerly Twitter). The drones were reportedly fired toward Israel.

On the morning (Yemen time) of November 23, the USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. The drones were shot down while the U.S. warship was on patrol in the Red Sea. The ship and crew sustained no… pic.twitter.com/TqXuaKsgwe
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 23, 2023

No damage or injuries were caused.

The incident came just hours after a cruise missile fired by the Houthis was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force near Eilat.

A view of ballistic missiles during a military parade held by the Houthis to mark the anniversary of their takeover in Sanaa, Yemen September 21, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)

This is the second time in a matter of days that the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer has shot down Houthi drones. Last week, the warship shot down a drone in the Red Sea that emanated from Yemen and was fired towards Israel.

Yemen's Houthi movement leader said last Tuesday that his forces would continue their attacks on Israel, and that they could target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

This came after the jihadist organization shot down a US military MQ-9 drone while it was in international airspace.

The Iranian-backed Houthis, who have been at war against a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, have emerged as a major military force in the Arabian Peninsula, with tens of thousands of fighters and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones.

Reuters contributed to this report.