MOSCOW, April 30 The US military shot down a Houthi drone attempting attack US Navy ships in the Red Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media X.
«CENTCOM forces successfully attacked and destroyed one Houthi-launched unmanned aerial vehicle heading towards the USS Philippine Sea and USS Laboon in the Red Sea.» , says the release.
In addition, CENTCOM added, the Houthis fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles and three drones at the Greek ship Cyclades, sailing under the flag of Malta. Neither the ship nor the American ships were damaged, and no crew members were injured.
The Houthis themselves said last night that they attacked two American destroyers and the bulk carrier Cyclades in the Red Sea, as well as the container ship MSC Orion in the Indian Ocean.
The ruling Ansar Allah movement in northern Yemen, which controls most of Yemen's Red Sea coast, began attacking Israeli-linked ships after the Middle East conflict escalated, causing shipping traffic through the Suez Canal to sharply decline.
The Houthis explain their actions help the Palestinians and claim that they do not interfere with freedom of navigation in the region. Arab and Muslim countries have repeatedly warned the United States that unconditional support for Israel's actions in Gaza would lead to the spread of the conflict throughout the region.
The United States and Great Britain, in turn, began striking Houthi targets in mid-January. A member of the Ansar Allah Supreme Political Council, Muhammad Ali al-Houthi, called these attacks terrorist barbarism, deliberate and unjustified aggression.