From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 24, 2023
US says Houthi drones attacked warship, tankers in Red Sea
The US military says a warship was targeted with four UAVs fired from Yemen, and says a tanker was hit by a suicide drone, with another nearly missing a second vessel.
No injuries are reported in any of the incidents.
In a statement, the US Central Command says the USS Laboon “shot down four unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound to” the frigate.
The ship is in the southern Red Sea as part of a US-led coalition meant to protect shipping lanes from attack by the Iran-backed rebels in the key Bab al-Mandeb strait.
On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles.
Between 3 and 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG… pic.twitter.com/jcBisbXBaS
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 24, 2023
It says the Laboon also responded to distress calls after attacks on the M/V BLAAMANEN, a Norwegian-flagged and owned tanker, which was nearly hit by an attack drone, and the M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude tanker that did suffer a strike.
“These attacks represent the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since Oct. 17,” it says.
In addition, CentCom says two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas at the shipping lanes, but no vessels were impacted.
