The US Navy thwarted a complex assault by Houthi rebel forces who launched a series of missile and drone attacks targeting two American destroyers, USS Stockdale and USS Spruance, off the coast of Yemen on Monday.
This comes after the US Navy conducted precision airstrikes on Houthi weapon storage facilities in Yemen at the weekend.
The rebels struck as the destroyers were navigating the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime point connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed at a media briefing on Tuesday.
Pentagon Press Secretary, Air Force Major General Pat Ryder, said the Houthis had deployed at least three anti-ship cruise missiles, five anti-ship ballistic missiles, and eight one-way attack drones in the attack. However, the navy managed to intercept and defeat all threats without incurring any damage to the ships or injuries to crew.
Earlier, Houthi forces claimed they had targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea along with two additional American destroyers in the Red Sea, asserting they achieved their objectives. However, Ryder said there was no confirmed attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Ryder confirmed that US forces had conducted precision airstrikes on Houthi weapon storage facilities in Yemen at the weekend, employing F-35 stealth fighters.
Monday’s incident marks the latest in a series of Houthi assaults on US Navy ships in the region. In a similar encounter in late September, US forces successfully defended against a combined Houthi missile and drone attack.
Over the past year, the US Navy has consistently intercepted Houthi-launched missiles and drones intended for military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthi rebels have repeatedly claimed that their actions are a response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The incident on Monday occurred amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with recent confrontations involving US forces and Iranian-backed groups in Syria.
On Sunday, US personnel stationed at Mission Support Site Green Village in northeastern Syria endured two separate attacks involving a drone and indirect rocket fire. In retaliation, the US conducted airstrikes against nine targets associated with Iranian groups on Monday.
