Houthis Claim Attack on US Navy Destroyer and Commercial Ship in Red Sea, but US Intercepted Missile Days Ago
The Houthis, a militant group in Yemen, claimed responsibility for targeting a US Navy destroyer and a commercial ship in the Red Sea on Wednesday.
However, the attack on the warship occurred two days prior and was successfully intercepted.
The Houthis have recently disrupted trade through the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea with attacks on shipping.
The US military suggests its airstrikes and interceptions of Houthi fire have disrupted their assaults and depleted their weapon stockpiles.
Lately, the Houthis have been announcing days-old attacks.
The Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed that the rebels attacked two US ships, the USS Mason and a vessel named Destiny, with missiles in the Red Sea.
The USS Mason, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, is part of a US-led coalition trying to prevent Houthi attacks on shipping.
The US military's Central Command confirmed that the Mason intercepted and destroyed an incoming anti-ship ballistic missile launched by the Houthis on Monday night.
The US Navy's 5th Fleet did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the alleged attack on the Destiny.
The Houthis, a rebel group in Yemen, have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to put pressure on Israel to end its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
The war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2000, resulting in over 35,000 Palestinian deaths and the displacement of thousands more.
The Houthis have carried out over 50 attacks, seizing one vessel and sinking another.
These attacks have led to a decline in shipping activity in the region due to the threat.