A US missile destroyer in the Red Sea on Saturday morning shot down 14 drones launched from the Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, adding that regional partners had been alerted to the incident.
"In the early morning hours of December 16 (Sanna time) the US Arliegh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS CARNEY (DDG 64), operating in the Red Sea, successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," the CENTCOM said on X (formerly Twitter).
The downed attack drones inflicted no damage to ships in the Red Sea, the CENTCOM added.
On Friday, Liberian-flagged cargo ship Al Jasrah, belonging to German international shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, was hit by a projectile launched from the part of Yemen controlled by the rebel Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, in the Red Sea. As a result of the attack, a fire broke out on the deck and one container fell overboard; however, no injuries to the crew were reported.
The Houthis have earlier said that they would continue to prevent the passage in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea of ships linked to Israeli companies or bound for Israel until Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip ends.