US Navy ship attacked in Red Sea by Houthi militants: How it unfolded
The Navy destroyer USS Carney shot down three drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen during ballistic missile attacks on three commercial ships in the Red Sea Sunday.
The attacks took place in international waters over seven hours. Combined with an increase in clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah near the Lebanon border, the assaults could mean an expansion of the war in the region, USA TODAY reported.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for two of the attacks against the commercial ships but said nothing about the Navy ship.
The Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was unharmed. Two of the carriers were damaged.
How the drone attacks happened
How the attacks unfolded in Sanaa, Yemen, time, eight hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time:
9:15 a.m.: The USS Carney detects an anti-ship ballistic missile fired at the bulk cargo ship M/V Unity Explorer from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
12 p.m.: While in international waters, the Carney shoots down an unmanned aerial vehicle launched by Houthis headed toward the Carney.
Central Command later says the drone’s specific target was not clear. “We cannot assess at this time whether the Carney was a target of the UAV,” Central Command says. The Carney sustained no damage or injuries.
12:35 p.m.: The Unity Explorer reports it’s been struck by a missile fired from the Houthis. The Carney responds to the distress call and begins damage assessment.
The Carney detects a second incoming UAV and destroys it. The destroyer is undamaged, but the Unity Explorer reports minor damage from the first missile strike.
3:30 p.m.: A Houthi missile strikes the bulk carrier M/V Number 9 while in international shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The carrier reports damage but no casualties.
4:30 p.m.: The bulk carrier M/V Sophie II sends a distress signal saying it’s been struck by a missile. As the Carney responds, it shoots down another UAV launched in its direction. The Carney later reports no significant damage to the carrier.
USS Carney is a guided-missile destroyer
The USS Carney is part of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group. It was dispatched to the Middle East along with the strike group in October.
On Oct. 19, the destroyer shot down three cruise missiles and several drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Defense Department said the weapons might have been directed against Israel.
Who are the Houthi rebels in Yemen?
The Houthis are a Zaydi Shiite movement that has been fighting the Sunni Muslim majority government in civil war in Yemen since 2004, according to the Wilson Center. They are believed to be backed by Iran.
The rebels took control of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, in 2014, and much of the northern part of the country in 2016.
The Houthis began launching aerial strikes against Israel after the Israeli-Hamas war started. It said it would launch attacks to "help Palestinians to victory."
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; U.S. Central Command; U.S. Naval Institute; Associated Press; Wilson Center