US Repels Houthi Attacks on Its Ships in Gulf of Aden
© AP Photo / Staff Sgt. Donald HolbertIn this handout photo from the U.S. Marine Corps, the USS Portland lowers a floating target into the water that it will later fire on with a laser weapon system, in the Gulf of Aden, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. The U.S. Navy announced Wednesday it tested a laser weapon and destroyed a floating target in the Mideast, a system that could be used to counter bomb-laden drone boats deployed by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. (Staff Sgt. Donald Holbert/U.S. Marine Corps via AP)
© AP Photo / Staff Sgt. Donald Holbert
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Navy shot down drones and a missile fired at US merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden by Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Houthis said that they carried out missile and drone attacks on US destroyers and supply ships in the Gulf of Aden.
"US Navy destroyers USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS O’Kane (DDG 77) successfully defeated a range of Houthi-launched weapons while transiting the Gulf of Aden, Dec. 9 – 10 … The destroyers successfully engaged and defeated multiple one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWA UAS), and one anti-ship cruise missile," the command said in a statement on X.
The statement added that the destroyers escorted three US merchant vessels. The attack "resulted in no injuries and no damage," the command noted.
The movement has previously declared its support for Palestine and its intention to attack any ships linked to Israel, calling on other countries to recall their crews and not approach them at sea. The movement has also pledged not to interfere with freedom of navigation in the region and not harm the ships of other countries. Some companies decided to suspend shipping through the Red Sea amid the attacks.