US shoots down drone launched by Houthis in Red Sea

WASHINGTON

The US said Saturday it shot down a drone launched from Yemen in the Red Sea amid rising tensions with the Yemeni rebel group Houthis.

"On the Jan. 6, at approximately 9.30 a.m. (Sanaa time), an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen was shot down in self-defense by USS LABOON (DDG 59) in international waters of the Southern Red Sea in the vicinity of multiple commercial vessels," US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.

There were no casualties or damage reported, it added.

Houthis have targeted vessels in the Southern Red Sea, warning it will attack all Israel-bound ships. It says the attacks are to support Palestinians as they face Israel's "aggression and siege" in Gaza.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently announced the creation of a multinational mission – Operation Prosperity Guardian – to counter the Houthi attacks.