US warship shoots down multiple ‘attack drones’ in Red Sea

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, shot down multiple “one-way attack drones” in the Red Sea on Thursday morning.

“On the morning (Yemen time) of November 23, the USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen,” CENTCOM posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The drones were shot down while the U.S. warship was on patrol in the Red Sea.”

Officials said the ship was not damaged and no crew members were injured.

Tensions in the region have increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea shipping route Sunday and took its 25 crew members hostage, officials said. The group said the ship was hijacked over its connection to Israel, and vessels in international waters would continue to be targeted.

The Houthi rebels also recently claimed missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, drawing their main sponsor, Iran, closer to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Associated Press noted.

The Houthis are currently in a cease-fire amid a civil war with the Yemeni government.

A Houthi military spokesman said on X that armed forces will continue military operations until Israel ends its war against the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

A deal was reached earlier this week to release 50 women and children who were kidnapped in Hamas’s initial surprise attack on Israel and pause fighting for four days to allow for the safe transfer of hostages, the release of 150 prisoners in Israel and the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Israeli officials said the cease-fire has been delayed until at least Friday after hitting a last-minute snag. The temporary pause in fighting is not expected to take effect until Friday, which is one day later than originally planned.