On Sunday, US Central Command said that US Navy Destroyers intercepted missiles and drones launched by Yemen’s Houthis at three US commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden.
“US Navy destroyers USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and the USS O’Kane (DDG 77) successfully defeated a range of Houthi-launched weapons while transiting the Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said in a press release.
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, took credit for the attack, saying they targeted three US “supply ships” and one US destroyer. According to Al Mayadeen, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said Yemeni forces carried out “precise hits,” but CENTCOM said there was no damage or injuries.
CENTCOM said the destroyers “successfully engaged and defeated three anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs), three one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWA UAS), and one anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM).”
The US began bombing Yemen back in January in defense of Houthi attacks on Israeli shipping, which were launched in response to the onslaught in Gaza. The US bombing campaign has done nothing to deter the Houthis and only escalated the situation as the Yemeni group began targeting US shipping as a result.
From 2015-2022, the US supported a Saudi/UAE war against the Houthis, which involved heavy airstrikes and a blockade, and the Houthis only became a more capable fighting force during that time.
According to the UN, the war killed at least 377,000 people, with more than half dying of starvation and disease caused by the siege. A ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis has held relatively well since April 2022, but new US sanctions are blocking the implementation of a lasting peace deal.
