U.S. Central Command says Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired a ballistic missile toward the USS Carney in the Gulf of Aden on Friday.
The projectile was “successfully shot down” by the American destroyer and there were no reports of injuries, according to CENTCOM.
The attack is the 37th by the Houthis directed at commercial vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Nov. 19.
For weeks, the Yemeni terrorist group’s actions have been disrupting maritime traffic, while the U.S. military has been responding with strikes.
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The USS Carney travels through the Suez Canal on Oct. 18, 2023. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau/Reuters)
“On Jan. 26, at approximately 1:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) in the Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.
The USS Carney previously shot down three Houthi drones headed in its direction in early December.
Friday’s attack comes after White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that two ships were targeted by the Houthis on Wednesday.
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The guided-missile destroyer USS Carney is seen in Souda Bay, Greece. (Petty Officer 3rd Class Bill Dodge/U.S. Navy via AP)
“There were three Houthi missiles fired at two merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea,” Kirby said. “One missile missed by something like 200 kilometers. The other two were shot down by a U.S. Navy destroyer.”
One of the ships targeted Wednesday was identified as the U.S. flagged and U.S. owned M/V Maersk Detroit Commercial Container ship, a U.S. defense official told Fox News. The missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
Houthi fighters stage a rally against the U.S. government near Sanaa, Yemen, on Thursday, Jan. 25. (AP/Osamah Abdulrahman)
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The USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, was identified by the official as the ship that intercepted two of the missiles in those attacks.
Fox News’ Liz Friden and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.