US Central Command Says Destroyer Shoots Down 3 Drones Launched by Houthis in Red Sea

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Three commercial vessels in the Red Sea were attacked four times over the past 24 hours, and US destroyer USS Carney responded to their distress calls and shot down three drones, which were allegedly launched by Yemen's rebel Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, the US Central Command said on Monday.

"Today, there were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea … The Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS CARNEY responded to the distress calls from the ships and provided assistance," the command said in a statement.

USS Carney shot down the first drone "launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen" as it was approaching the US destroyer, the statement read, adding that the drone’s "specific target is not clear" and the US military "cannot assess at this time whether the Carney was a target of the UAVs."

"In a separate attack at approximately 12:35 p.m., UNITY EXPLORER reported they were struck by a missile fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. CARNEY responded to the distress call. While assisting with the damage assessment, CARNEY detected another inbound UAV, destroying the drone with no damage or injuries," the command said.

In addition, another commercial vessel, M/V Number 9, was hit by a missile launched from "Houthi controlled areas in Yemen," the statement noted. The command said that later, the M/V Sophie II vessel also sent a distress call, saying that it was struck by a missile, and USS Carney, while "en route to render support … shot down a UAV headed in its direction."

"We also 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," the command said.