Navy warship USS Thomas Hudner shoots down multiple attack drones over the Red Sea after they were launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen
- USS Thomas Hudner shot down multiple drones launched from Yemen
- The drone attack follows a wave of drone and missile attacks on US troops
- The attack was in retaliation for US support for Israel in the war between Israel and Hamas
A US Navy warship shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen while operating in the Red Sea, officials said.
The drones were shot down Wednesday morning by USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that there were no injuries to the crew or damage to the ship.
The drone strike follows a wave of drone and missile attacks on US troops stationed in Iraq and Syria, launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
In Yemen, Iran supplies the Houthis, a Shiite faction that has been at war with a Saudi-led Sunni coalition in the country since 2015.
Navy warship USS Thomas Hudner (pictured in 2021) shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen while operating in the Red Sea
The drone strike follows a wave of drone and missile attacks on US troops stationed in Iraq and Syria, launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that there were no injuries to the crew or damage to the ship
The Houthis have become a major military force in the Arabian Peninsula, with tens of thousands of fighters and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones.
Officials confirmed Wednesday evening that the drone came from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and was shot down while the US ship was on patrol in the Red Sea.
It is unclear whether the drone was armed and how close it got to the ship before it was shot down.
The attack came days after the Houthis seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship with about 25 crew members on board on Sunday.
Helicopter-borne forces seized the Galaxy Leader and its 25 international crew, days after the Houthis threatened to attack Israeli shipping over the war.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have warned they could capture more ships after a video showed fighters jumping from a helicopter during a dramatic hijacking in the Red Sea.
The ship was chartered by a Japanese group and flew the flag of the Bahamas.
A photographer said the Galaxy Leader was anchored in the rebel-controlled port of Hodeida in northwestern Yemen and heavily guarded. It now flew the Yemeni and Palestinian flags.
The White House said Tuesday it is considering re-designating Yemen’s Houthi movement as a terrorist organization after it hijacked the ship in the Red Sea.
Earlier this month, a pro-Palestinian demonstration took place in Houthi-dominated Sanaa, Yemen
The Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Groups conduct joint operations in the Eastern Mediterranean during a show of U.S. naval power earlier this month
Last week, a Pentagon An official told DailyMail.com that the Hudner crew “engaged and shot down a drone to ensure the safety of US personnel.”
The shot down drone was on its way to the ship, which was operating in international waters.
The US has deployed a significant amount of naval force to the Middle East in the past month, including two aircraft carrier strike groups and thousands of US troops.
The USS Thomas Hudner is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and is currently operating in the Middle East after reportedly transiting the Suez Canal this weekend.
US and coalition forces have been attacked by missiles and drones in Iraq and Syria at least 55 times since October 17, wounding 59 personnel, although all have returned to duty, a defense official told DailyMail.com last week.
The Iranian-backed militant groups claiming responsibility for the attacks have said they are in response to US support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.