The US Navy intercepted a barrage of Houthi missiles and drones launched at three of its warships in the Red Sea on Thursday, two US defense officials said.
The attack was one of the largest yet on US warships in the Middle East, one of the officials told CNN.
The barrage was launched at the USS Spruance and USS Stockdale — both guided missile destroyers — and the USS Indianapolis, a littoral combat ship, as they traveled north of the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
The crucial waterway connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The US ships were targeted “while they were en route to support and assist the Israeli enemy,” Houthi army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yehya Saree claimed.
The Houthi navy, air force and missile force launched 23 projectiles, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, the spokesperson for the Iranian-backed rebels said.
Saree said the operation made “direct hits,” a claim that was rejected by the two US officials.
The Houthis of Yemen have carried out a series of strikes on US warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip last year.
In December, the USS Carney shot down 14 Houthi drones that were targeting the guided-missile destroyer.
When the Carney returned to port months later, the chief claimed that the vessel carried out more enemy engagements than any other ship since World War II.
In February, a Houthi cruise missile got within just one mile of the USS Gravely destroyer.
The Graveley was forced to use its “last line of defense, “ the Gatling gun, to ward off the incursion.
Last week, the Houthis fired a missile into central Israel — prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warn that Israel would “exact a heavy price” from the Yemeni rebels.
The strike reportedly caused travelers at Ben Gurion International Airport to race to shelters for protection.
Air raid sirens also sounded in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas.
