An American naval destroyer shot down three Iranian drones along with an anti-ship missile fired by Yemen's Huthis rebels Wednesday.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) had also earlier announced a strike on a Huthi surface-to-air missile it said posed an "imminent threat" to American aircraft -- a deviation from past air raids that focused on reducing the rebels' ability to threaten international shipping, reports AFP.
While the US has carried out strikes on the Huthis and other Tehran-supported groups in the region, both it and Iran have sought to avoid a direct confrontation, and the downing of three Iranian drones could heighten tensions between the two countries.
"Iranian-backed Huthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden. The missile was successfully shot down by the USS Carney," CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that less than an hour later the same ship "engaged and shot down three Iranian UAVs in its vicinity."
It did specify whether the drones were armed or just for surveillance.
Earlier on Wednesday, US forces "struck and destroyed a Huthi surface-to-air missile that was prepared to launch" after determining that it "presented an imminent threat to US aircraft," CENTCOM said.
However, it did not identify the type of aircraft that were threatened or the exact location of the strike, only saying that it took place in "Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen."
bd-pratidin/GR
