WASHINGTON: An American destroyer shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Yemen on Saturday (Dec 30) because it responded to a name for assist from a container ship that was hit in a separate strike, the US army mentioned.
The missiles had been launched from territory managed by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) mentioned in a social media put up, describing it because the “twenty third unlawful assault by the Houthis on worldwide transport” since Nov 19.
The Houthis have repeatedly focused vessels within the important Purple Sea transport lane with strikes they are saying are in assist of Palestinians in Gaza, the place Israel is battling militant group Hamas.
CENTCOM mentioned that the USS Gravely and USS Laboon – each destroyers – responded to a request for help from the Maersk Hangzhou, a Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned and operated container ship that reported being struck by a missile whereas transiting the Purple Sea.
Whereas responding, the Gravely shot down the missiles, which had been fired “towards the ships”, it mentioned.
The assaults by the Yemeni rebels – who’ve mentioned they’re focusing on Israel and Israeli-linked vessels – are endangering a transit route that carries as much as 12 p.c of world commerce, prompting the US to arrange a multinational naval job power earlier this month to guard Purple Sea transport.
The newest spherical of the Israel-Hamas battle started when the Palestinian militant group carried out a shock cross-border assault from Gaza on Oct 7 that killed about 1,140 folks, largely civilians, based on an AFP tally primarily based on Israeli figures.
Following the assault, the US rushed army assist to Israel, which has carried out a relentless marketing campaign in Gaza that has killed at the very least 21,672 folks, additionally largely civilians, based on the Hamas-run territory’s well being ministry.
These deaths have sparked widespread anger within the Center East and offered an impetus for assaults by armed teams throughout the area which might be against Israel.
US forces in Iraq and Syria have additionally repeatedly come beneath hearth from drone and rocket assaults that Washington says are being carried out by Iran-backed armed teams.
