US destroyer shoots down anti-ship missiles fired from Yemen

In response to a request for assistance from a cargo ship that had been struck in a separate attack, an American destroyer shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Yemen on Saturday, according to the US Navy.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on social media that the missiles were fired from area that the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, controlled. They described the incident as the “23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping” since November 19.

The Houthis have frequently attacked ships in the crucial Red Sea trade channel, claiming their attacks are in favour of the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is engaged in combat with the terrorist organisation Hamas.

CENTCOM said the USS Gravely and USS Laboon — both destroyers — responded to a request for assistance from the Maersk Hangzhou, a Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned and operated container ship that reported being struck by a missile while transiting the Red Sea.

While responding, the Gravely shot down the missiles, which were fired “toward the ships,” it said.

The attacks by the Yemeni rebels — who have said they are targeting Israel and Israeli-linked vessels — are endangering a transit route that carries up to 12 percent of global trade, prompting the United States to set up a multinational naval task force earlier this month to protect Red Sea shipping.

The latest round of the Israel-Hamas conflict began when the Palestinian militant group carried out a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7 that killed about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Following the attack, the United States rushed military aid to Israel, which has carried out a relentless campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 21,672 people, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Those deaths have sparked widespread anger in the Middle East and provided an impetus for attacks by armed groups across the region that are opposed to Israel.

US forces in Iraq and Syria have also repeatedly come under fire from drone and rocket attacks that Washington says are being carried out by Iran-backed armed groups.