Yemen Monitor/ Newsroom:
A US defense official confirmed to Business Insider on Monday that one of the two US warships that came under fire, the destroyer USS Stockdale, has now been involved in three incidents within two months, where the ship engaged in defensive operations to repel incoming Houthi weapons.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyer emerged unscathed from all three incidents, the official added. These repeated attacks appear to reflect the Houthis’ desire to hit a US warship and underscore the ongoing threat posed by the rebels to nearby waterways.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East, said late Sunday that the USS Stockdale and USS Truxton, another destroyer deployed in the region, had “successfully defeated” multiple Houthi weapons while on a protective mission in the Gulf of Aden over the weekend.
The attack occurred while the destroyers were escorting three US-owned commercial vessels through the strategic waterway.
CENTCOM said: the US warships shot down three anti-ship ballistic missiles, one anti-ship cruise missile, and three attack drones. The Houthis regularly launch such weapons into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
