- US Navy warships shot down several missiles and drones launched by the Houthis over the weekend.
- It’s the latest attack against American forces operating off the coast of Yemen.
- For one of the destroyers involved, the incident marked its third call to action in as many months.
US Navy warships operating off the coast of Yemen fought off another Houthi attack over the weekend, shooting down a collection of missiles and drones.
One of the two US warships that came under fire, the destroyer USS Stockdale, has now been involved in three incidents in as many months in which the ship engaged in defensive operations to defeat incoming Houthi weapons, a US defense official confirmed to Business Insider on Monday.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer emerged unscathed after all three incidents. These repeated attacks appear to reflect the Houthi desire to hit an American warship and underscore the continued threat that the rebels pose to nearby waterways.
US Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, said late on Sunday that the Stockdale and USS O’Kane, another destroyer deployed to the region, “successfully defeated” multiple Houthi weapons while conducting a protection mission in the Gulf of Aden over the weekend.
The attack unfolded while the destroyers were escorting three US-owned commercial vessels through the strategic waterway. Centcom said the American warships shot down three anti-ship ballistic missiles, one anti-ship cruise missile, and three attack drones. The Houthis regularly fire these types of weapons into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
A Houthi spokesperson said earlier that the Iran-backed rebels had targeted a US destroyer and three supply ships associated with the military, claiming that the missile and drone strikes were “accurate and direct.”
Centcom, however, refuted the claim and said that there were no injuries or damage to any of the military or civilian vessels. It said the defensive action reflects the military’s commitment to protecting American personnel and international shipping against the relentless Houthi attacks.
The weekend incident marks the latest Houthi attempt to attack a Navy warship in recent months. The Stockdale, in particular, has had to react to multiple attacks. The heavily armed destroyer engaged a barrage of missiles and drones in late September and came under fire again in mid-November.
Though the Houthis haven’t yet succeeded, a senior State Department official told Business Insider last month that the rebels appear increasingly determined to strike US and European warships as part of their ongoing campaign against military and civilian vessels, which is now in its second year.
“Our leadership is all extremely concerned about the Houthis’ determination to seemingly strike us — to strike our friends — in the Red Sea, their perseverance in doing so, their determination to do what they’ve been doing better,” said US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking.
The US and European Union have deployed warships to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to defend shipping lanes from Houthi attacks. The rebels have struck a number of commercial vessels over the past year, but they have been unable to land a hit on any Western military assets.
