The US military says there were no injuries or damage caused by the anti-ship cruise missile fired toward the USS Laboon.
The U.S. military shot down a missile fired at one of its ships by Iran-backed Houthis, officials said, in the first known attack on U.S. forces by the rebel group since Washington began its latest airstrikes against Yemen.
A US fighter jet shot down the anti-ship cruise missile after it was fired from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen towards the USS Laboon in the Red Sea, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday.
“The missile was shot down off the coast of Hodeidah by US warplanes,” CENTCOM said. “No injuries or damage were reported.”
The attack is the first acknowledged by the United States since Washington and its allies began launching air and cruise missile strikes against Yemen on Friday in response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthis, who have yet to acknowledge the latest incident, have carried out repeated attacks on cargo ships the group says are linked to Israel, in a show of support for Palestinians under Israeli bombing in Gaza.
At least 26 ships have been attacked by the Houthis since they seized the Israel-linked ship Galaxy Leader in November.
The attacks have forced some of the world's largest shipping operators to reroute their ships around the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa, severely disrupting global trade.
Traffic through the Red Sea, which normally facilitates the movement of cargo worth between $3 billion and $9 billion each day, has decreased by more than 40 percent since the attacks began.
Earlier on Sunday, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam accused the United States of violating national sovereignty by flying planes near Yemen's airspace and coastal areas, although it is unclear whether the two incidents were related.
