US Navy shoots down Houthi missiles targeting US-flagged commercial ships in Gulf of Aden

Two US Navy destroyers shot down Houthi missiles and drones that targeted three US-flagged commercial ships that the destroyers were escorting in the Gulf of Aden, the US military said.

The ships involved suffered no damage, U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said in a statement. There were no injuries, the statement said.

The destroyers, the USS Stockade and the USS O’Kane, shot down “a range” of weapons launched by the Houthis as they passed through the gulf on Saturday and Sunday, CENTCOM said.

“These actions reflect the continued commitment of CENTCOM forces to protect U.S. personnel, regional partners and international shipping from attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis,” the command said in a statement.

The Houthis launched their campaign against shipping in response to Israel’s war in Gaza, launched after the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7. Houthi leaders have vowed to continue their attacks until Israel ends its campaign in Gaza and withdraws from the territory.

The US – along with the UK – first launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in January 2024, following several months of drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. These strikes continued into November, officials said.

The Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles, three attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the weekend, all of which were defeated, the navy said.

CENTCOM, in a press release dated December 1, did not identify the targeted civilian vessels.

ABC News’ David Brennan and Matt Seyler contributed to this report.