Yemen's Houthi rebel group announced on Sunday that it had carried out what it described as a "qualitative and joint military operation" targeting a US destroyer and three military supply ships, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement broadcast by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV channel.
"We carried out an operation targeting an American destroyer and three supply ships belonging to the US military," said Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea, according to the report.
He identified the supply ships as "the Stena Impeccable, the Maersk Saratoga, and the Liberty Grace" but did not specify the name of the targeted destroyer.
The operation, which reportedly took place in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, involved 16 ballistic and winged missiles as well as a drone, Sarea claimed. He described the strikes as "accurate and direct."
Sarea also warned that the Houthis would intensify their operations within the declared maritime operations zone, covering the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, unless Israel halts its actions in Gaza.
"We will continue to carry out military operations at an escalating pace against Israel and the United States of America," he stated.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Sunday, US Navy destroyers USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS O'Kane (DDG 77) successfully defeated a range of Houthi-launched weapons while transiting the Gulf of Aden, Nov. 30 - Dec. 1.”
“The destroyers were escorting three US owned, operated, flagged merchant vessels and the reckless attacks resulted in no injuries and no damage to any vessels, civilian or US Naval,” added CENTCOM.
“The destroyers successfully engaged and defeated three anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs), three one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWA UAS), and one anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM), ensuring the safety of the ships and their personnel, as well as civilian vessels and their crews.”
“These actions reflect the ongoing commitment of CENTCOM forces to protect US personnel, regional partners, and international shipping, against attacks by Iran-backed Houthis,” the CENTCOM statement concluded.
The Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza last October, having launched drones towards Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
The coalition has repeatedly targeted Houthi facilities and weapons systems in Yemen. The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the "Zionist enemy" will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.