Yemen’s Houthi rebels acknowledge attacking a US destroyer that shot down missile in the Red Sea

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Wednesday claimed to have attacked a US Navy destroyer and a commercial ship in the Red Sea. However, the attack on the warship apparently occurred almost two days earlier and saw the ship intercept the missile aimed at it.

The Houthis’ latest statement comes as their attacks on shipping, which have disrupted trade through a vital corridor leading to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, have slowed in recent weeks. Although the rebels have not acknowledged the slowdown, the US military has suggested that its airstrikes and interceptions of Houthi fire have disrupted their attacks and devoured their weapons stockpiles.

Recently, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for attacks that occurred days ago.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the rebels attacked the USS Mason with missiles and launched an attack on a ship he identified as the Destiny. Several vessels have that name in shipping records.

The Mason, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, has been in the Red Sea and the broader region as part of a U.S.-led coalition trying to prevent Houthi attacks on shipping. On Monday night, the Mason “successfully engaged and destroyed an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by (the) Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen over the Red Sea,” the US military’s Central Command said.

The U.S. Navy’s Middle East-based Fifth Fleet did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the alleged attack on the Destiny.

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there, according to health officials. local. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 more hostage.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seizing one ship and sinking another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has slowed due to the threat.