USS Carney Takes Down Three Drones While Assisting Ships, Officials Say
Three commercial ships came under attack in the Red Sea’s international waters on Sunday, according to U.S. military officials. Houthi militants claimed responsibility for the incident, heightening tensions in the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The U.S. Central Command stated, “These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security, jeopardizing the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world.”
This incident occurred in a major shipping lane between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war following the terror attack on Israel, missile attacks from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen have targeted ships in the Red Sea, as reported by the Pentagon.
Officials on Sunday attributed the blame to Iran, stating, “We … have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners,” CENTCOM said.
The three commercial ships, namely the Unity Explorer, Number 9, and Sophie II, were subjects of the missile attacks, as mentioned in Sunday’s announcement.
The missile attacks spanned over more than seven hours on Sunday. The Unity Explorer was hit twice while the Number 9 and Sophie II were also targets, according to CENTCOM. However, no casualties were reported.
The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, managed to intercept and shoot down three drones while assisting the ships on Sunday. One of these drones was traced back to Houthi areas of Yemen. The warship did not sustain any damage.
In a statement, the Houthis claimed to have targeted two of the commercial ships due to their connections to Israel and their disregard of warning messages from Houthi forces. They pledged to continue preventing Israeli ships from navigating the Red and Arab Seas until the Gaza Strip aggression stops.
A U.S. official informed ABC News that some of the commercial vessels involved may have links to Israel.
ABC News’ Nasser Atta contributed to this report.
