Houthis clash with US Navy ships in the Gulf of Aden

The US military says it has intercepted a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Yemen-based group.

The United States military has said its forces successfully fended off an attack by the Houthis, a Yemen-based armed group, while escorting a group of three commercial vessels through the Gulf of Aden.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military activities in the Middle East, said on Tuesday that two destroyers intercepted a barrage of cruise missiles and drones launched from Yemen.

“The destroyers were escorting three US owned, operated, and flagged merchant vessels. The reckless attacks resulted in no injuries and no damage to any vessels, civilians or US Naval,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

US forces in the region have exchanged fire with the Houthis for months, as the group seeks to block certain commercial ships from travelling through the Red Sea. The group says those actions are a means of exerting pressure to end Israel’s war in Gaza, of which the US is a key supporter.