Houthis Target Two American Ships

A coalition vessel successfully engaged one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched from the Iranian-backed Houthi "terrorist-controlled areas" in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden, the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) said on Thursday.

The ASBM was likely targeting the MV Yorktown, a U.S.-flagged, owned, and operated vessel with 18 U.S. and four Greek crew members, USCENTCOM said in a statement.

"There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships," it added.

Separately, US CENTCOM said it successfully engaged and destroyed four airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

The ASBM and UAVs presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels in the region, it said.

Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen attacked the U.S. ship Maersk Yorktown, an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden and Israeli ship MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech on Wednesday.

Yemen's Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea region since November in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians fighting Israel in Gaza.

Separately, British maritime security firm Ambrey said earlier on Wednesday that it was aware of an incident southwest of the port city of Aden, an area where the Houthis often target ships they say are linked to Israel or the United States.

The vessel reported an explosion in the water about 72 nautical miles east-southeast of Djibouti, an updated advisory from Ambrey said.

Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. The United States and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

(Reuters - Reporting by Yomna Ehab, Ahmed Tolba, Nayera Abdallah, Ahmed Elimam and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Deepa Babington and Stephen Coates)