(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – With tensions in the Middle East staying the highest they have been in years, a US Navy vessel guarding America’s ally Israel has seen itself forced to open fire to defend itself from an attack by the Houthi rebels from Yemen, a proxy for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Two US Navy aircraft carrier battle groups have been dispatched close to Israel after the latter was attacked on October 7 in a surprise invasion by the Palestinian Islamist terrorist group Hamas.
The USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh-Burke Class Destroyer of the US Navy, successfully defended itself against a drone attack originating from Yemen, as confirmed by the Pentagon to The Daily Caller.
The incident occurred while the warship was navigating the Red Sea and represents the second known instance of a US warship countering attacks from Yemen.
The region has seen the Houthi rebel group launch drone, rocket, and missile attacks on Israel, a response to the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
“The USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) engaged a drone that originated from Yemen and was heading in the direction of the ship. The drone was destroyed and there were no US casualties. We do not have additional details to provide at this time,” stated the US Department of Defense.
The incident involving the Hudner occurred during its transit through the Red Sea.
On a separate occasion, a US destroyer in the Red Sea intercepted multiple missiles and drones for nine hours on October 19, believed to be aimed at Israel, as per a CNN report.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels were also responsible for shooting down a US MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone on November 9.
Concurrently, Israel’s military intercepted a missile launched from Yemen over the Red Sea, targeting Israel, according to The Times of Israel.
The Houthi militants claimed responsibility for ballistic missile launches on Israeli military targets, including in Eilat, Israel’s port on the Red Sea, Reuters reports.
The Houthis’ military spokesperson declared that the missile launches followed a previous drone operation targeting the same Israeli sites. He emphasized the group’s readiness to target any Israeli ship in the Red Sea or within their range.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also acknowledged the first combat use of the Arrow 3 defense system on November 9, as reported by Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson, in response to these attacks from Yemen’s Houthis.
