USS Carney shoots down drones, missile fired by Houthis in Yemen

U.S. destroyer USS Carney shot down drones and a missile fired toward it in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Wednesday.

USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the American campaign against the Iranian-backed rebels, shot down one anti-ship ballistic missile and three one-way attack unmanned aerial systems launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sanaa time, CENTCOM said.

Several hours later, CENTCOM forces destroyed three anti-ship missiles and three unmanned surface vessels (USV) in self-defense. The missiles and USVs were located in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

"CENTCOM forces identified the missiles, UAVs, and USVs and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy ships in the region," CENTCOM said in a statement. 

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This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows USS Carney in the Mediterranean Sea on Oct. 23, 2018. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan U. Kledzik / U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa via AP)

"These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels."

There were no injuries or damage to the ship reported.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, acknowledged the attack on USS Carney, The Associated Press reported.

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The Houthis "will not stop until the aggression is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted," said Saree, who did not acknowledge the later U.S. airstrikes.

Newly recruited Houthi fighters attend a protest march against the U.S.-led strikes on Yemen and the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024 in Sanaa, Yemen. (AP/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Freight traffic going through the Suez Canal has plunged since Iran-backed Houthi militants began attacking vessels in the Red Sea as a show of support for Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war, which began following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people. The attacks led to U.S. and British forces leading a series of proportionate strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. 

The Houthis have not offered any assessment of the damage they have suffered in the strikes that began in January, though they have said at least 22 of their fighters have been killed.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.

Late last week, a U.K.-owned cargo ship that was struck by the Houthis sank, making it the first vessel to be lost since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war.

Late last week, a U.K.-owned cargo ship that was struck by the Houthis sank, making it the first vessel to be lost since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war. (ALJOUMHOURIYA TV/AP)

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The ship, a Belize-flagged bulk carrier called the "MV Rubymar," was attacked by two anti-ship missiles launched by the Houthis on Feb. 18, one of which hit and caused severe damage. All 24 crew members were safely evacuated, but the Rubymar was left dead in the water, slowly taking on water as its cargo, fertilizer and fuel, spilled into the sea. CENTCOM called it an "environmental disaster." It finally sank late last week.

USS Carney has been at the forefront of repelling Houthi attacks in the area. USS Carney engaged with and shot down three Iranian UAVs that were in its vicinity.

Meanwhile, the Indian navy released a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata fighting a fire aboard the MSC Sky II, which had been targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. Smoke poured out of one container aboard the vessel, which also showed scorch marks from the impact of a Houthi missile.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.