WASHINGTON – Three commercial ships were attacked four times in a span of 24 hours in the Red Sea, and a US Navy destroyer responded by shooting down three drones, according to the Pentagon’s Central Command. Earlier, Al Jazeera reported, citing a source in the US Defense Ministry, that the American destroyer USS Carney was attacked by drones and missiles launched from Yemen. “On Sunday, four attacks were carried out against three different commercial vessels in the international waters of the southern part of the Red Sea,” the statement said. In response to the alarm signals, the US Navy destroyer USS Carney allegedly reacted and detected a rocket attack from an area controlled by Yemeni Houthis. The rocket passed in close proximity to the cargo ship Unity Explorer, the command said. The destroyer then shot down a drone launched from Yemen. The UAV was heading towards a military ship, but the Pentagon does not claim that the Carney was its target. The destroyer also shot down another drone in response to a signal from the same cargo ship, which reported being hit by a rocket and sustaining minor damage. Another vessel, Number 9, also reported being hit by a rocket launched from Yemen, but there were no casualties or damage. Later, the third vessel, Sophie II, sent a distress signal, reporting a rocket hit. The destroyer shot down another drone after that. According to the Central Command, the American ship and its crew did not suffer any injuries as a result of the incidents. The Pentagon claims that the attacks were carried out by Houthis from Yemen but allegedly “fully organized by Iran.” “The US will consider an appropriate response in full coordination with international allies,” the command said, calling the attacks “a direct threat to international trade and maritime security.” Yesterday, the Houthis announced that they would resume strikes against Israel after the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip ended. During the military operation, Hamas’s movement “Ansar Allah” announced several times about launching rockets at the Israeli city of Eilat. The Houthis also warned of their intention to attack any ships associated with the Jewish state, urging other countries not to approach them at sea and to recall their crews. On Friday at 8:00 Moscow time, the humanitarian ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Hamas expired. The IDF stated that the Palestinian movement violated the operational pause and opened fire on the territory of the Jewish state. The Israeli Air Force began to strike enemy targets. In turn, the movement blamed Tel Aviv for resuming hostilities, claiming that negotiations on extending the ceasefire had been ongoing all night but the other side refused to consider the proposals.
