WASHINGTON: A drone and two missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels were shot down Saturday in two separate incidents over the southern Red Sea, the US military said.
No injuries or damage was reported by any ships in the busy trade route after the incidents, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a social media post.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have launched dozens of drone and missile strikes into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, describing their attacks as an act of retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war.
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The drone was shot down during the day, the CENTCOM post said, adding that two other drones had crashed into the water.
Later in the evening, CENTCOM forces “successfully engaged” two anti-ship ballistic missiles over the Red Sea, according to the post.
The missiles “were fired in the direction of USS Gravely and were destroyed in self-defense, with no damage or injuries reported,” it said referring to a US Navy missile destroyer.
The rebel attacks have prompted reprisal strikes by US and British forces and the formation of an international coalition to protect the vital shipping lanes through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
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