WASHINGTON: An American warship opened fire on a drone that was heading toward it from the coast of Yemen, a US defense official said Wednesday.
The official did not specify who launched the aircraft, but Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a series of recent drone and missile attacks during Israel’s war against Hamas.
The USS Thomas Hudner guided missile destroyer “engaged a drone that originated from Yemen and was heading in the direction of the ship,” the defense official said.
The incident comes after the US Navy shot down multiple missiles and drones last month that it said were fired by the Houthis, who are considered by the West as part of the “axis of resistance” of groups arrayed against Israel.
The Houthis claimed last week that they shot down an MQ-9 drone that was spying as part of Washington’s support for Israel