Houthis clash with US Navy ships in the Gulf of Aden 

The United States military has said its forces successfully fended off an attack by the Houthis, a Yemen-based armed group, while escorting a group of three commercial vessels through the Gulf of Aden.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military activities in the Middle East, said on Tuesday that two destroyers intercepted a barrage of cruise missiles and drones launched from Yemen.

“The destroyers were escorting three US owned, operated, and flagged merchant vessels. The reckless attacks resulted in no injuries and no damage to any vessels, civilians or US Naval,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

US forces in the region have exchanged fire with the Houthis for months, as the group seeks to block certain commercial ships from travelling through the Red Sea. The group says those actions are a means of exerting pressure to end Israel’s war in Gaza, of which the US is a key supporter.

But the US has depicted the Houthi attacks as a threat to trade and freedom of navigation.

“These actions reflect the ongoing commitment of CENTCOM forces to protect US personnel, regional partners, and international shipping against attacks by Iran-backed Houthis,” CENTCOM said.

The three US-flagged commercial vessels were sailing towards Djibouti when the US said they came under attack by “uncrewed aerial systems” and one antiship cruise missile.

Two US Navy ships, the USS Stockdale and the USS O’Kane, responded to the attack. Citing an unnamed official, The Associated Press (AP) news agency reported that a US Navy helicopter and French Air Force aircraft also helped repel the attack.

Together, they shot down four of the drones and a missile, according to the AP.

Despite months of US efforts to put an end to the attacks, including numerous strikes on Yemen, the Houthis have continued to target military and shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

At the start of this year, the US military reported that the Houthis had conducted 27 such attacks in less than two months, from November 19, 2023, to January 11.

The Yemeni group also claimed responsibility for a drone attack in central Israel on Monday.