U.S. forces destroy four Houthi drones fired at U.S. and coalition warships

March 29 (UPI) -- United States Central Command said Thursday night it destroyed four Houthi drones fired at a U.S. warship and a coalition vessel in the Red Sea.

U.S. Central Command said it happened between 6 p.m. and 10:56 p.m. local Sanna,Yemen time Thursday.

"United States Central Command successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial systems launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. These UAS were aimed at a Coalition vessel and a U.S. warship and were engaged in self defense over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported to U.S. or coalition ships," CENTCOM said in a statement.

CENTCOM said the actions were taken to protect merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships as well as freedom of navigation. The weapons, the statement said, presented an imminent threat.

On March 6, a Houthi attack on a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden killed three people and injured at least four others, according to the U.S. military. The ship suffered significant damage.

The Houthis claim their attacks are not intended to harm ship crews.

"We ask them not to cross," Houthi spokesman Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti said in a statement on X. "American and Britain's insistence on the continuation of genocide in Gaza the starvation of its population and its aggression against Yemen is what led to this dangerous escalation."

On March 12 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired at the Liberian flagged container vessel Pinocchio as it passed through the Red Sea, but the missiles missed and the ship was not damaged.

Six strikes were then conducted against an underwater drone and 18 anti-ship missiles in Yemen, according to Central Command.

Both the United States and Britain began airstrikes against the Houthis in mid-January to protect shipping and attempt to degrade the ability of Houthis to continue attacking ships.

The Houthis have said they started the attacks to support Palestinians being killed by Israel in Gaza in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel that triggered Israel's invasion of Gaza.