Washington: A US warship intercepted drones and missiles near the coast of Yemen on Thursday. This encounter revealed a larger and more sustained barrage than previously known. According to a US official, it resulted in the downing of four cruise missiles and fifteen drones over a span of nine hours, CNN reported.
The USS Carney, a warship, was travelling south after passing through the Suez Canal. It intercepted missiles and drones moving north along the Red Sea. It was clear that these projectiles were aimed at Israel, which was a more definite conclusion than what the Pentagon initially believed, according to CNN reports.
Ongoing missile and drone attacks on Israel, originating from areas far from the Gaza conflict, are a concerning sign that the war risks escalating beyond the borders of Gaza. Moreover, protests at US embassies across the Middle East and US and coalition forces in Syria and Iraq have come under repeated attack over the past several days, adding to these concerns, CNN reported.
The Pentagon’s press secretary, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, disclosed on Thursday that the missiles were launched by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen and were potentially directed toward targets in Israel. During the press briefing, Ryder indicated that three land-attack cruise missiles and several drones were involved in the attack.
Some of the projectiles were travelling at altitudes that made them a potential risk to commercial aviation when they were intercepted, the US official said. The drones and missiles were intercepted with SM-2 surface-to-air missiles launched from the USS Carney, as per the reports from CNN.
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