- Over 10 hours, Iran-backed rebels fired over a dozen drones and missiles around the Red Sea.
- The US Navy says it shot them down.
- The USS Laboon and F-18 Super Hornets with the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group stopped the attacks.
The US Navy says it racked up another victory over Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have been harassing cargo ships in the Red Sea.
US Central Command said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday that the rebels fired 12 one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land-based cruise missiles over a 10-hour period.
US military assets — including the destroyer USS Laboon and F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group — shot down every one of those attempts, CENTCOM said.
It’s unclear if any more attempts were made, but CENTCOM wrote that no ships in the area were damaged, and no one was injured.
Another clash with Iran-backed rebels
Tuesday’s attacks were the latest skirmish between US military forces and the Houthi rebels around the Red Sea.
For months, the Iran-backed militants have fired missiles and drones into Israeli territory and at cargo ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, justifying the strikes as opposition to Israel’s bombing and invasion in Gaza.
Navy assets have opposed them. Earlier this month, the Navy bragged that the destroyer USS Carney has gone undefeated against the Houthis, taking out 22 missiles and drones without taking a hit.
The rebels don’t pose much of a threat to US warships, former Navy sailors previously told Business Insider.
But for cargo ships, it’s a different story.
Some major shipping companies said they’ve rerouted or delayed ships. Reuters reported last week that some ships have turned off their tracking signals to avoid attacks.
Last week, US Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd affirmed that US forces would work with an international coalition to defend against the attacks on shipping lanes, but said more must be done.
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