US shoots down another drone near Yemen

A U.S. Navy destroyer on Wednesday shot down another drone that came from Houthi-controlled Yemen, according to a defense official.

The official said the drone was shot down around 10:20 a.m. local time over the southern Red Sea by the USS Mason, an Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer. There was no damage to U.S. forces or assets.

U.S. forces have been attacked by Iranian-backed forces at least 76 times in both Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, just days after the Israel-Hamas war broke out, the Pentagon said on Monday.

The Houthis, an Iranian-backed rebel group in Yemen, have traded fire with U.S. forces in the Red Sea several times since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The Houthis have also seized or attempted to seize commercial vessels in the region, some of which have been linked to Israel.

On Sunday, the Houthis fired rockets for hours at commercial ships, which were successfully defended by U.S. forces.

That day, the U.S. also carried out a strike against an Iranian-backed group in Iraq, killing five people. The group was preparing to fire an attack drone, according to the Pentagon.

The U.S. is working to create a maritime task force that will defend commercial vessels and tankers in the Middle East region.

Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder declined to speak on the details, saying only a framework was established. But he said the task force would involve at least 38 other countries.

“The Houthi strikes against commercial vessels in international waters underscore the fact that this is an international problem,” Ryder said. “All three of these ships were sailing in international waters, representing a variety of countries.”