CNN
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The USS Carney shot down no less than three Houthi drones headed within the ship’s course within the southern Crimson Sea on Sunday and responded to a misery name from a civilian industrial vessel that was fired upon by a ballistic missile, a US protection official mentioned.
The drones have been a part of 4 assaults towards three separate industrial vessels launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, US Central Command mentioned in a press release Sunday night. It’s unclear whether or not the USS Carney was a goal of the drones.
At roughly 9:15 a.m. native time, the Carney “detected an anti-ship ballistic missile assault fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen towards the M/V Unity Explorer,” US Central Command mentioned. The missile landed within the ship’s neighborhood; the Carney — an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer deployed as a part of the USS Gerald R. Ford Provider Strike Group — was patrolling within the Crimson Sea on the time.
The Unity Explorer is a Bahamas flagged, UK owned and operated bulk cargo ship, in keeping with CENTCOM.
A couple of hours later at 12 p.m. native time, the Carney “destroyed” one Houthi drone whereas within the southern Crimson Sea, the protection official mentioned. In response to CENTCOM’s launch, the drone “was headed towards Carney though its particular goal will not be clear.”
At roughly the identical time, the Unity Explorer was struck by a missile fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Carney responded to the misery name, and whereas aiding, detected one other inbound unmanned aerial car (UAV) and destroyed it with “no injury or accidents on the Carney or Unity Explorer.”
The Unity Explorer did, nevertheless, report “minor injury” from the ballistic missile strike, CENTCOM’s launch mentioned.
Two different industrial vessels additionally have been attacked on Sunday, in keeping with CENTCOM. At roughly 3:30 p.m. native time, M/V Quantity 9, a Panamanian flagged, Bermuda and UK owned and operated vessel, was “struck by a missile” fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and working worldwide delivery lanes within the Crimson Sea. The service reported no injury and no casualties.
And at roughly 4:30 p.m. native time, the Carney responded to a misery name from the M/V Sophie II, which was additionally struck by a missile. On its option to reply, the Carney shot down one other UAV headed in its course. The Sophie II didn’t report any vital injury, in keeping with CENTCOM.
US Central Command, in its assertion, solid the assaults as “a direct risk to worldwide commerce and maritime safety.”
“They’ve jeopardized the lives of worldwide crews representing a number of international locations around the globe,” the assertion mentioned, noting that whereas these assaults have been launched by Houthis in Yemen, the US has cause to imagine they have been “enabled by Iran.”
“The USA will think about all applicable responses in full coordination with its worldwide allies and companions,” CENTCOM mentioned.
The Houthi-run Yemeni Armed Forces claimed on Sunday that its naval forces had carried out assaults towards what it referred to as “two Israeli ships” within the Crimson Sea’s Bab al-Mandab strait.
In response to Yemeni Armed Forces’ assertion, the vessels Unity Explorer and Quantity 9 have been engaged with a naval missile and drone, respectively, after rejecting warning messages.
The Unity Explorer, in keeping with maritime safety firm Aubrey, was struck by no less than two unmanned aerial automobiles, and the Quantity 9 vessel reportedly incurred bodily injury from a UAV.
“The focusing on operation got here after the 2 ships rejected warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces,” the assertion mentioned. This motion, it mentioned, is a part of ongoing efforts to impede Israeli ships from navigating the Crimson and Arab seas “till the Israeli aggression towards our steadfast brothers within the Gaza Strip stops.”
“The Yemeni Armed Forces renew their warning to all Israeli ships or these related to Israelis that they may turn out to be a official goal in the event that they violate what’s said on this assertion and former statements issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces.”
Since Hamas’ assault on Israel on October 7, the Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have launched quite a few cruise missiles and assault drones towards Israel and US property within the area, heightening issues that the Israel-Hamas warfare may increase additional into the area.
Final month, the USS Thomas Hudner shot down a number of one-way assault drones launched from Yemen. And roughly every week in the past, two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen towards the USS Mason within the Gulf of Aden, after it responded to a misery name from one other industrial tanker that had come below assault by 5 armed people believed to be Somali.
Israel mentioned on October 31 that it thwarted an aerial attack by the Houthis; a spokesperson for the Houthi forces mentioned that strikes towards Israel would proceed till “Israeli aggression” stops.
Sunday’s assaults additionally come only a day after plane from the Eisenhower Provider Strike Group intercepted an Iranian unmanned aerial car working “in an unsafe and unprofessional method” within the Persian Gulf.
Regardless of the continuing assaults — together with common assaults on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria — US officers have maintained that they imagine the Israel-Hamas battle has not but spilled over into the area.
“We largely see the battle contained between Israel and Hamas,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder mentioned final week. “That’s to not say that you simply haven’t seen Iranian proxies try and take benefit to additional their very own objectives.”
CNN’s Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.
This story has been up to date with extra info.