https://news.antiwar.com/2023/10/19/us-says-it-intercepted-missiles-and-drones-fired-from-yemen/
US Says It Intercepted Missiles and Drones Fired from Yemen ‘Potentially’ Headed Toward Israel
The Pentagon says they were fired by the Houthis
by Dave DeCamp
The Pentagon said on Thursday that a US warship in the Red Sea intercepted missiles and drones that were fired by Houthi forces in Yemen.
“The crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney operating in the northern Red Sea earlier today shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthis forces in Yemen,” said Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.
“There were no casualties to US forces and none that we know of to any civilians on the ground,” he said. Ryder said it was unclear what the missile and drones were targeting but said they were headed north in the Red Sea, “potentially toward targets in Israel.”
The Houthis had warned earlier this month that they could fire missiles if the US directly intervenes in Israel’s war on Gaza. The incident is the latest sign that the war in Gaza could escalate into a regional conflict as US bases in Syria and Iraq have also come under fire.
The US has been backing a Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in Yemen since 2015 in a brutal war that has killed at least 377,000 people. From the Houthi perspective, they have been at war with the US, as Houthi media describes the coalition’s actions as “US-Saudi aggression.” A ceasefire between the Saudis and the Houthis has held relatively well since April 2022, but no lasting peace deal has been signed.