US warship and multiple commercial ships attacked in Red Sea

03 December 2023 , 17:42

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This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows the USS Carney in the Mediterranean Sea on Oct. 23, 2018 (Image: AP)

A US warship has been attacked in the Red Sea along with multiple other commercial ships, the Pentagon has said.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have been targeting ships in one of the world's busiest shipping routes and have claimed attacks on two ships, but are yet to take responsibility for targeting the USS Carney - an American Navy ship.

“We’re aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available,” the Pentagon told The Associated Press. According to AP, the Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

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The guided-missile destroyer USS Carney in Souda Bay, Greece (AP)

This marks a major escalation in the maritime attacks that have been occurring in the Red Sea in recent weeks, in reaction to the Israel-Hamas war.

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The UK's Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that there had been a suspected drone attack in the Red Sea but the Pentagon did not say where it believed the fire had come from. However, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said Houthi rebels were responsible. He said the first vessel was hit by a missile and the second by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The USS Carney in the Mediterranean Sea. (AP)

However, he did not say that a US warship was one of the targets. The group warned that it would continue to target ships in international waters that were linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israel's campaign against Gaza's Hamas rulers.

According to AP, a US official said the attack began at about 10am in Sanaa, Yemen and had gone on for around five hours. Another US official reported that the Carney was able to intercept at least one drone during the attack.

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Earlier in Novemeber, the Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship and took at least 52 people hostage. It is understood that the rebels still hold the vessel in the port city of Hodeida.

An incident last week saw missiles land near another US warship after it assisted a vessel linked to Israel that had briefly been seized by gunmen. According to AP, the Houthis have not directly targeted US ships for some time.

Lydia Stephens