US shot down Houthi drones and missiles in Red Sea, Centcom says

The US confirmed on Tuesday that its naval forces had shot down several Houthi drones and missiles in the Red Sea.

American forces intercepted “12 one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles and two land attack cruise missiles in the southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis over a 10-hour period”, US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement.

There were no injuries or damage to ships in the surrounding area, Centcom added.

It added that the Houthi drones and missiles had been shot down by assets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, which was sent to the region to counter a rise in attacks by the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group following the outbreak of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Houthi military spokesman confirmed the group had launched a missile strike on an MSC United Commercial ship, which was en route from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan at the time of the attack.

The group has said its actions in the Red Sea are in response to Israel’s war against Hamas.

The Houthis have become a growing threat in the Red Sea, a key global trade corridor, since the Israel-Gaza war erupted.

They have ramped up attacks on a number of vessels over the past few months, with strikes focused on Israeli ships or vessels headed to Israel.

The US and other nations formed a maritime task force last week to respond to the group’s attacks in the Red Sea.