WASHINGTON: A US Navy warship shot down a drone in the Red Sea that emanated from Yemen, two US officials said on Wednesday, in what appeared to be only the second time the United States has brought down projectiles near its warships since the Gaza crisis began.

The officials said the Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, took down the drone early in the morning.

The officials did not say whether the drone was armed or how close it came to the ship before being shot down.

Last month, another US warship intercepted four cruise missiles and 15 drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement from Yemen towards Israel.

Yemen’s Houthi leader said on Tuesday his forces would continue attacks on Israel, and that they could target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandeb Strait.

Last week, the Houthis shot down a US military MQ-9 drone while it was in international airspace.

The Houthis, who have been at war against a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, have emerged as a major military force in the Arabian peninsula, with tens of thousands of fighters and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones.

The US has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in the past month, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and thousands of troops.

The US military is taking new measures to protect its Middle East forces during the ramp-up in attacks by suspected Iran-backed groups, and was leaving open the possibility of evacuating military families if needed.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2023