US military says warship shot down 3 Iranian drones, Houthi missile in Gulf of Aden

In this image obtained from the US Department of Defense, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney in the Middle East region, on December 6, 2023. (Aaron Lau / US Department of Defense / AFP)
In this image obtained from the US Department of Defense, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney in the Middle East region, on December 6, 2023. (Aaron Lau / US Department of Defense / AFP)

WASHINGTON — An American warship shot down three Iranian drones and a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthi rebel, the US military says.

“Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden. The missile was successfully shot down by the USS Carney,” the Central Command says in a statement, referring to a US Navy destroyer.

Less than an hour later, “the USS Carney engaged and shot down three Iranian UAVs in its vicinity,” CENTCOM says, without specifying whether the drones were armed or just for surveillance.

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