The Pentagon confirms that one of its warships was hit by rocket fire in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen. Drone activity has also been reported in this area which separates East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
A US warship and several commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea on Sunday, according to the Pentagon. This could mark a major escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the war between Israel and Hamas.
“We have been informed of several attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and we will provide information as it becomes available“, says the Pentagon.
The Carney is an American Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
Earlier on Sunday, the British maritime security agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report regarding drone activity, thus “than a potential explosion“, “near Bab el Mandeb coming from Yemen”.
The Pentagon did not say where the shots came from. However Yemen’s Houthi rebels, supported by Iranlaunched a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, as well as drones and missiles targeting Israel in its war against Hamas.
A U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attack began around 10 a.m. local time in Sanaa, Yemen, and had lasted for nearly five hours.
The Houthis have not yet made any comments. However, a military spokesman for the rebel group earlier said an “important” statement would be issued shortly.
Global shipping increasingly targeted as war between Israel and Hamas threatens to evolve into a wider regional conflict.
At the beginning of November, Houthis seize a ship vehicle transport linked to Israel, in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. Rebels still hold it near the port city of Hodeida. Last week, missiles also narrowly missed a US warship as it assisted a ship, also linked to Israel, that had been briefly seized by gunmen.
The Houthis had not targeted the Americans directly for some time; this new attack, if confirmed, would therefore represent a worrying escalation of the current maritime conflict.
In 2016, the United States launched Tomahawk cruise missiles that destroyed three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory, in retaliation for missiles fired at U.S. Navy ships, including the USS Mason.