Yemen’s Houthis unleashed a new onslaught of anti-ship and land attack weaponry today around the southern end of the Red Sea. The US military said it thwarted the attack.
A Navy ship and strike group fighter jets thwarted another series of attacks in the Red Sea on Tuesday, shooting down numerous drones and missiles fired by Houthi rebels operating in Yemen, U.S. Central Command announced on social media.
U.S. Central Command says the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Laboon (DDG-58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike group shot down a dozen one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles. The series of engagements occurred over a 10-hour period starting at 6:30 AM local time. Not one of the weapons hit its mark.
The barrage comes a week after the Pentagon announced a new task force in the region to protect commercial shipping from such attacks. The Houthis have targeted shipping in the Red Sea since Oct.
The post did not say what the drones and missiles were targeting, but it noted that there was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries. The 10-hour barrage also appeared to be the first instance of Navy jets responding to Houthi attacks.
