U.S. warship, commercial ships encounter drone and missile attacks in Red Sea

U.S. warship, commercial ships encounter drone and missile attacks in Red Sea

A U.S. Navy warship shot down drones fired at various commercial vessels in the Red Sea on Sunday, officials said, with at least one commercial ship encountering a missile fired in its direction. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi military claimed responsibility for targeting two Israeli ships in that area with drones as well as missile strikes, driving concerns over the rebel group’s involvement in the Israel-Hamas war.

“Today, there were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea. These three vessels are connected to 14 separate nations,” U.S. Central Command confirmed in a statement Sunday.

The American warship seems to have initially shot down a drone from Yemen that was fired in its direction in the Red Sea, with a missile subsequently fired in the direction of the Unity Explorer, a commercial ship in the area, according to an official at the U.S. Department of Defense. The USS Carney shot down another drone fired in its direction as it moved to assist the Unity Explorer, the official said, noting at the time that an exchange of fire was ongoing.

READ ALSO:

• NDLEA arrests Lagos drug kingpin, uncovers meth, opioid consignments
• Sponsoring 1,411 delegates to COP28 waste of resources – Peter Obi attacks Tinubu
• Reject minister’s N15b residence proposal for Vice President, SERAP urges Akpabio

But a preliminary assessment indicated that the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was not targeted nor was it attacked by the oncoming drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea, another U.S. official said later on Sunday. The warship encountered those strikes while it was responding to the distress calls of commercial ships in the region, which were fired upon, according to the official.

“The Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS CARNEY responded to the distress calls from the ships and provided assistance,” CENTCOM said.

The ballistic missiles were fired toward the Unity Explorer, Number 9 and Sophie II, CENTCOM said, adding that “the attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security … [and] have jeopardized the lives of international crews.”

The Unity Explorer reported “minor damage” from the strike, and Sophie II reported “no significant damage,” CENTCOM said.

CENTOM said it had “every reason” to believe the attacks, while launched by the Houthi military, were “fully enabled by Iran.”

U.S. warship, commercial ships encounter drone and missile attacks in Red Sea

cbsnews