US Navy Destroys Drone Suspected to Originate from Yemen

A drone suspected of originating from Yemen in the Red Sea was intercepted and destroyed by a US warship on Wednesday, as confirmed by two US officials.

According to a defense official, the USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer, successfully engaged and neutralized a Yemeni drone that was approaching the ship. The officials clarified that the Hudner was not the intended target.

The Defense Department announced on Wednesday that the crew of the USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) successfully intercepted and destroyed a drone that originated from Yemen while transiting the Red Sea. The primary objective was to protect the safety of U.S. personnel, and fortunately, there were no American casualties or any harm done to the ship.

Reuters reported that the drone was shot down. The Hudner, a part of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, was deployed and located in the southern region of the Red Sea during the incident, according to one official.

The US Navy vessel in the region had its second interception since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. On October 20, the USS Carney successfully intercepted four cruise missiles and 15 drones over a nine-hour duration, according to previous reports from CNN. The Pentagon attributed the missile launch to Iranian-backed Houthi forces.

In October, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder stated that these missiles were possibly aimed at targets within Israel. The projectiles were successfully intercepted by the Carney utilizing SM-2 surface-to-air missiles.

The Houthi rebels have declared themselves responsible for recent missile strikes on Israel, warning of future attacks if "Israeli aggression" does not cease. The incident occurred on Wednesday, just a week after a US MQ-9 Reaper drone was brought down by Houthi forces near Yemen's coastline. This escalation coincides with ongoing assaults conducted by Iranian-backed groups in the area.

As of Tuesday, US and coalition forces had come under attack by Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria at least 56 times since October 17.