Two Houthi drones shot down off Yemen — US military

DUBAI — International forces shot down two drones after a series of launches by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the US military said on Wednesday.

A third drone crashed into the Gulf of Aden and the Iran-backed Houthis also fired an anti-ship ballistic missile at the busy trade route, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have launched dozens of drone and missile strikes into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, describing their attacks as an act of retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war.

In the latest attacks late on Monday and early on Tuesday, a coalition ship intercepted one drone and US forces “successfully engaged” another, CENTCOM said.

“It was determined that these weapons presented an imminent threat to both coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region,” it said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.

The rebel attacks have prompted reprisal strikes by US and British forces and the formation of an international coalition to protect the vital shipping lanes through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.